Aftermath
by SapphireMind
Summary: An ever-increasing saga of the GI Joes following their disbandment and subsequent reinstatement.
1. Memories

I don't own anything by my own ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't want any money for this, just to burn some creative energy. 

I'm somewhat red faced to be writing a romance one, but what the heck, I'll go for it. First attempt at romance and this particular cartoon (only 2nd attempt at any kind of fanfic) so please review, even if it is just to say I suck or that you are reading.

Timeline is post-disbanding of the Joe team. D/S fic.

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Shana O'Hara woke up slowly with a groan. She had retired from the military when the Joe team was disbanded, but she wasn't able to sleep any later as a civilian. She had classes to teach and helping everyone else get ready for the day. Plus, she needed to excercise and stretch. Although she considered it a retirement, Duke had insisted upon calling it a leave of absence. But really, she couldn't rule out that she would never go back, she just needed a break.

A break, yeah, and to get away from Duke. There had always been tension between them, of a good kind. But he was her CO and that meant nothing more than flirting. With time, they became the best of friends, but she always wanted more secretly. She thought he did too, but never found the right time to ask him, until that night.

Scarlett cried softly as she watched them take the body of Snake Eyes away. She couldn't believe he was dead, he was one of her closest friends and they had an on and off relationship. 'Damn Cobra,' she thought. 'Damn them to hell for what they've done.' The Joes had won the day, but not without a heavy price. Duke was seriously injured and it was unclear whether he would survive, Snake Eyes was already dead, many more injuries reported. She had some herself but paid little mind to them. She mentally said a final goodbye to Snake eyes and then went to check on Duke.

But what good did it do her to drag up those memories? Her eyes filled with tears despite herself. That day was one of the worst in her life. The victory over Cobra was definitely bittersweet. Heavy losses and the disbanding of the Joe team. The end of her life as she had known it for so long.

She shook her head, changing into her workout clothes and going down to the basement mats and starting her yoga exercises to warm up and stretch out her tired muscles. Of course, her mind wandered while she tried to relax. Despite her attempts to forget that night, her mind wandered to her last night on base, with Duke.

"1 - 2 - 3 Shoot!"

She laughed as she downed another shot of tequila. She and the guys were in the common room, living it up for their last night. Sharing memories and plans for the future.

"So, you really gonna go back to being a normal person Scarlett?" Shipwreck smirked as he questioned her. "Do you remember how to do that?" Laughter came from the rest of the crew.

"Normal no, but a civilian yeah. Hell, I did it before, I can do it again." Her words were slurring a bit with all the alcohol imbibed.

"And you can always come back, you know that Scarlett," Duke looked at her as he downed another shot. The rest of the men nodded agreement. "We'll miss you Red." Duke smiled, knowing she wasn't thrilled with that nickname.

She paused, looking around at her comrades, people who had saved her life more times than she could count and vice versa, and remembered the people who weren't there, Flint and Lady Jaye, who had already been transferred, and of course Snake Eyes, who had been buried the week before. She looked over to Duke finally. "I'll miss you guys too. We'll see each other again. Flint and Lady Jaye are going to get married sometime. They'll make sure we're all there."

There were noises of agreement, then she stood up. "But, I am going to head back to my quarters." Boos and hisses from the others made her smile, "I've already had way too much to drink and I have some last minute packing to do." She went to each Joe and hugged them tightly and told them how important they were to her. Her hug with Duke lingered a little longer, then she smiled and whispered softly to him, "I'll miss you Conrad. I'll always be here for you." Then she pulled away from him and with one last wave, returned to her quarters.

The memories hurt more than the stretching did. She yawned, still feeling exhausted despite a full night's sleep. She finished her yoga exercises, standing up and shaking her arms. It was just about time for breakfast and she was craving waffles. That meant she better get moving if she wanted to make them in time to eat before her first class of the morning.


	2. Passion

The day passed quickly. Shake awake the brothers, eat breakfast, go to the dojo, start classes, have lunch, more classes, individual lessons, go home. She had been operating on autopilot ever since she returned home. Today was not much different. She came home, saw her brother already starting dinner, nibbled on a few of the veggies he had cut and grinned saying, "How is it that you're a better cook than me?"  
  
That drew a smile to Sean's face. "You are so sexist. Should I be upset that you can kick my ass ten ways from Tuesday?"  
  
"Of course not! Women are always supposed to be better than men," she chuckled good-naturedly with the ribbing. "Seriously though, tastes much better than mine." Another yawn hit her and she shook her head lightly to clear it.  
  
Sean looked at her with some concern. "You're not getting enough rest." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off, "I don't care what time you are going to bed. Go up, lay down. Or I'll tell Dad and he'll knock some sense into you."  
  
Shana couldn't help but smile and agreed with a smile, heading upstairs to her room, laying down and closing her eyes to sleep, where her dreams overtook her, bringing the rest of the memories that she'd been trying so hard to block out  
  
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A knock at her door as she was getting into bed, the shots from before truly catching up to her now. The room was spinning, and she called out weakly, "Who's there?"  
  
A worried voice came through the door, "Scarlett? Shana, are you ok?" It was Duke and he was obviously checking up on her. She could never figure out if it was because he really had feelings for her or whether he viewed her as a little sister. The knocking became a little more insistant as she tried to gather her wits.  
  
"I'm ok. Come in if you want," she sat down on the bed, resting her back against the headboard, taking a small sip of water, trying to prevent a hangover tomorrow, not a fun way to fly.   
  
Duke walked in, pretty far from sober himself, looking at the glass of clear liquid with an arched brow, "That better not be vodka, I think you've had enough."   
  
She laughed at that, "No, water. Hangover's worst enemy. Have a seat if you want." She watched him curiously wishing she was just a little more sober so she could better interpret it. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Just worried about you. You had a lot to drink, and a lot on your plate. Big change coming up," he sat down on her bed, closing the door after himself. "How are you dealing with it all? I know you and Snake Eyes were.....close." His emotions were unreadable when he spoke those words.  
  
'You will not cry, you will not lose it, you will not cry,' she silently willed herself, her words still slurred when she spoke, "I won't lie, it's been hard. I..." Her voice broke a little, "I just don't know what I'll do without the Joes." She regained control of her voice and managed to not cry at all.   
  
"Shana, you don't have to leave you know," Duke's voice was hoarse, emotion filling it, "We may not be Joes, but you can still stay with many of us." He wanted to add 'with me', but just couldn't. "I'm going to miss you Shana. I don't know what I'll do without you around." He stammered for a moment then added hastily, "You're a very competant soldier."  
  
"'A very competant soldier'? Boy, do you have a way with flattering a girl Conrad." She smiled, leaning forward on her knees. "But thank you, I appreciate it."  
  
He looked at her for a moment, weighing his options, then suddenly leaned over and kissed her. She was shocked at first, but quickly responded, holding onto him tightly. They kissed fervently as her hand reached out for the light and they lay back on her bed, doing what they had secretly yearned to do for so long.  
  
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She tossed in her sleep then woke up, hearing Brian's voice calling her down for dinner. "Come on sleepyhead! You don't get down here soon, there won't be anything left for you!"  
  
she slowly got up, lamenting that she must be so out of shape to be so worn out all the time, either that or she had to stop the dreams from bothering her rest, heading down the stairs to join her family for dinner. 


	3. Heartache

Mepoor housewife, other peopleowning the rights to G.I. Joe and whatnot. Not trying to steal, only enjoy their ideas and characters. 

Thank you everyone for reading, I'm glad people are enjoying the story. I've always been a G.I. Joe fan and I'm glad I found this site :D

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"Pass the potatoes please, Dad," Shana passed the bread to her brother as she took the potatoes from her father. "Thanks." The table was quiet as they all ate silently. The mood was tense and finally Shana sighed with exasperation and looked at her father. "Alright. Spit it out, what's up?"

"Shana. You're not getting enough sleep. Your eyes have dark circles under them, you aren't doing anything outside of this house and the dojo," he continued without giving her an opportunity to protest or disagree, "You are off this week. You will rest. You will get out of the house. You will start looking more like the Shana I know and love, or you are fired, and I'll drag you to a Dr., Psychologist or whatever else it takes to get you out of this funk." He looked at her, his jaw set and expression firm.

Shana's mouth dropped and she looked at her father, opening her mouth to protest. "But Da..."

"But nothing. I'm your father, I've talked it over with your brothers and this is final." His tone softened a little, "Shana, honey, we're worried about you. You are running yourself ragged. You need to find some balance out of the military."

She sighed. She knew there was no point in fighting him in this, and she was too damn tired to anyways. "Alright. I'll take a break. You all were plotting against me weren't you," She looked at each of them in turn. "I should kick all of your butts for it, but you are right I guess. I'll slow down. I promise." She thought for a moment. "Actually, I think I may take a trip to see some old friends. I've been meaning to for a while and this seems like the right time."

"See? That's all we wanted to hear, a little enthusiasm and a lot of rest." Patrick smiled at her and the rest of the dinner passed a lot easier.

"Patch me through to Lady Jaye, please. This is Scarlett." Shana took a deep breath as she spoke to the operator. There were clicks as she was transferred through the system and then a familiar voice greeted her.

"Lady Jaye here" Her voice was a welcome reminder of old times to Scarlett and she couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Jaye. Up for a few rounds in the ring?"

"Scarlett! Is that really you? I was beginning to think you were avoiding us!" The happiness resonated through Jaye's voice, reassuring Scarlett that she made the right decision.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry I've been MIA. Busy adjusting to civilian life. But I'm going on vacation and I'd like to pop up and visit you and Flint if things are calm."

"Calm enough, get your ass up here. Do you want me to call anyone else? I could get some of the guys together. Duke isn't posted too far away." Jaye knew of course of her feelings for Duke, but nothing of what happened between them that night.

Scarlett hurriedly assured her, "No, I just want to spend some time with you and Flint right now. I'm supposed to be relaxing. I may just go visit some of the others privately," she lied easily to her friend, knowing she would assume that it meant that Scarlett just wanted to be alone with Duke to talk to him.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and made arrangements, and then hung up the phone with each other. Shana tried to keep herself from getting sick at the thought of seeing Duke again. She couldn't, not after that night.

Later that night, in the darkness of her quarters, curled up in Duke's arms, Scarlett watched him as he slept. She couldn't believe this had happened, not how she was expecting, but she wasn't going to complain. She thought of Snake Eyes, still so recently dead, and his insecurity regarding Duke, he always could sense her feelings regarding him. She wondering if she was disrespecting his memory by barely letting his body cool than moving on to Duke.

As she thought about this, she offered a small prayer to him, barely even whispering, "Forgive me, I..." She paused with a sigh, "I miss you. I'm sorry." As she spoke the words, she felt he really did hear her and understood. A weight was lifted off her shoulders and she dozed off back to sleep.

Duke meanwhile lay there with his eyes closed, breathing even, hearing her faint words and couldn't deny the stab of pain he felt in his chest as his thoughts raced. 'Obviously she had just slept with me to forget Snake Eyes and is now feeling guilty about it, regretting her drunken decision. Why didn't I see it earlier?' He thought it over as she went back to sleep.

He decided he would make this easy for her. No matter what, he was glad for the time he spent with her and didn't want to hear her awkward words in the morning as she realized what she did, see her hurry away without wanting to deal with him. He just wanted to remember this night as a wonderful moment.

He kissed her lightly on the lips, brushed her hair off her face and smiled at her in the darkness, then he slipped out of bed, getting dressed silently and walking out of her room, leaving Scarlett alone in bed.

No. No Conrad at the post. She headed upstairs to start packing and tell her family of her plans for a vacation.


	4. Reunion

Disclaimer: This disclaimer is not owned by me. It is a horrible horrible knockoff of someone far more clever than I.   
  
That goes for the rest. Well, the story itself is mine. The characters are on "loan". Please don't charge me rent!  
  
Thanks for all the reviews! It really makes me happy that people are reading and enjoying the story!  
  
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Scarlett kissed her father on the cheek at the airport security gate, getting a nostalgic look on her face, at having to fly on a civilian flight, go through security checks and not be allowed to fly the damn plane herself.   
  
"Be safe. And I see that look in your eyes. Don't re-enlist just because you're there." Patrick kissed her back, sighing softly. "I love you Shana. Be sure to call."  
  
"Love you too Da," She smiled reassuringly, to try and tell him that she was indeed fine. "I'll be back in a week or two." With one last wave, she stepped into the security line, quickly moving through to the gate and onto the plane.   
  
As she waited for takeoff, her eyes slipped closed, dreams quickly overtaking her.  
  
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She stood on the tarmack, duffel over her shoulder, tears in her eyes. She looked at the remaining Joes, not even bothering to try and keep up her strong front. She of course noted that Duke was towards the back of the group, trying to avoid eye contact. She sighed, then addressed the group. "I love you all. I will miss you terribly. Take care of each other, and..." her voice cracked with emotion. "Well. Just don't forget about me." She saw tears in a few of the eyes of the toughest men and women in America as she finally turned and entered the plane.   
  
Duke stayed towards the back, trying to keep his eyes hidden. He wouldn't admit to anyone he was crying, but he just couldn't believe she was walking out of his life so easily. He had debated running after her and begging her to stay, but did he really want to be someone she settled on? She needed time obviously to recover from Snake Eyes' death, the man she really loved, and he would give it to her. Maybe someday it would be different, but until then, he'd have to go on alone. 'Better this way anyway. Why in the hell did they let women onto the Joe team anyway?' he thought. He suddenly felt a surge of anger, a welcome change from the grief and turned and walked away from the plane as she boarded.  
  
As she settled herself into her seat, she watched Duke stride away, burying her head in her hands and crying. One of the kids flying the plane misunderstood her tears, setting a hand on her shoulder and speaking reassuringly, "You don't have to leave. You'll always have a home with the military and the Joes, even if there isn't an official team any longer. Nothing can really separate us."  
  
Scarlett nodded through her tears, knowing she did need the break, more than ever before, but just kept crying, a deep empty hole in her chest causing more pain than any wound she'd experienced in battle.  
  
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"Miss....? Miss?!"   
  
Shana opened her eyes, finding them wet and someone shaking her awake. She looked around, dazed for a moment, half expecting to find herself on a military flight, but instead saw a concerned looking flight attendant.   
  
"What? I'm sorry?" Shana oriented herself and wiped her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, we were concerned, you were crying in your sleep and," she looked around the plane "everyone else is gone."  
  
Shana blushed from embarassment and quickly got up, mumbling apologies. She headed into the terminal, looking around. She saw a fresh faced man in fatigues holding a sign very stoicly that said "Red". That illicited a chuckle and she walked over to him.  
  
"At ease soldier. Kudos for keeping a straight face." She grinned, putting the young man at ease.  
  
"Thanks ma'am. I'm here to take you to the base." He smiled at her, thankfully putting the sign under his arm. "Do you have bags?"  
  
"First, don't call me ma'am. I'm Scarlett," she hesitated, she meant to say Shana, but old habits die hard and she just couldn't tell her real name in such a public place, connected with the military. "And yes, I have my duffel in check. I can carry it myself. Let's head downstairs."  
  
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They collected her bag and travelled by humvee out to the base. "Horrible abuse of military resources. Chaufferring a civilian here and there." Her tone was teasing and enjoyed the flustered expression on his face as he searched for a reply. "Don't worry. I can't ever be considered a civilian. I just like watching the young ones get nervous."  
  
That set the boy even more at ease and they arrived on base shortly, after more small talk. He insisted on grabbing her duffel and directed her to an office inside the main building. "Report this, I'm taking this to your quarters."  
  
She didn't try to argue, instead proceeding directly to the office as directed.  
  
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When she entered, she almost cried for the second time that day, seeing Jaye, Flint, Dusty, Lifeline and Cover Girl sitting and waiting for her with a cake. A cake sat on the table with the words 'Re-enlist today!' written on it.  
  
"You guys!" She went and hugged them each in turn. "Thank you so much. It does my heart good to see you all again. I've really missed you. My Da has already warned me about re-enlisting!" They all laughed and began chatting and catching up, sharing old times.  
  
She went over to give Jaye a tight hug and say quietly, "Thanks for arranging all this, Allie. You are still my best friend."   
  
"Don't thank me too much. I tried to get Conrad here, but he said he had duties he couldn't get away from," mischief sparkled in Jaye's eyes. "But I'm thinking of having Dash go over his head to force him to come here for the reunion."  
  
"Don't!" Her voice was perhaps too forceful and a few people turned to look at them, she quickly flashed a smile to everyone. "Jaye's just trying to get me drafted back." A laugh rippled around the room. "Sorry Allie. I'm just tired. I wouldn't want to cause trouble for Duke."  
  
Jaye eyed her dubiously. "Don't give me that shit Shana. It won't work with me, I know you too well. You do look tired, so I am going to give you a reprieve to go to quarters and rest from travel, then we'll have a little chat. Or interrogation session, your choice really." Her tone left no room for argument.  
  
"Scarlett here is tired and I'm sending her to bed. We'll be able to harrass her later." Jaye elbowed Scarlett and grinned. "So, plot your methods of luring her back well. I expect to see her in uniform before the week is out."   
  
"Thanks everyone. It's great to see you all again." She grinned then headed to the quarters she was directed to, smiling to see she is bunking with Allie, just like old times. She laid down and fell quickly to a thankfully dreamless sleep. 


	5. Thinking

Yadda yadda yadda yadda, I'm not owner of anything but my own weird imagination and I'll be damned if I'm not starting to enjoy writing this stuff. *LOL*  
  
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Shana woke up a couple of hours later to a darkened room. For a moment she tried to remember where exactly she was. She quickly remembered, flipping on the lights, running her fingers through her hair and checking herself in the mirror and opening the door to step out into the hallway.  
  
No one bothered her as she looked around, taking a roundabout path to Jaye's office. She finally arrived, knocking lightly on the door.   
  
"Come," Jaye's quick response was typical for most military offices. Scarlett slipped inside and closed the door behind her. She smiled a little, sitting down gracefully into a chair.  
  
"Alright. I'm here, I'm rested. I'm ready to confess. It hurt that you weren't around when it happened, I had no one to talk to about it." She began slowly, but began to relax, knowing that Jaye would never judge her and would understand.  
  
"When what happened?" Jaye's eyes were suddenly suspicious and concerned. "He didn't...Do anything he should be killed for, did he?" Jaye was confused, as she didn't think he was that sort of person, and was relieved at Scarlett's quick confusion and negation of the possibility.  
  
"It all started on my last night with the Joes." She told Jaye the whole story from her perspective, but leaving out the whispered prayer to Snake Eyes. Just that she and Duke had been drunk, slept together and he slipped out in the night and then didn't even say goodbye.  
  
Jaye listened to the whole story with a frown, her fingers making a steeple, then sighing deeply, "Have you spoken to him since? Do you even know what happened? There could be a reasonable explanation..." She trailed off, sighing again.   
  
"He's not tried to contact me either. He knows where I live. He knows how to contact me." Scarlett sounded a bit defensive now, not liking Jaye's tone, but knowing in her heart she was probably right.  
  
"You are both adults. The communication thing goes both ways," Jaye's voice lowered and got more gentle, "Dash and I have had more misunderstandings and arguments than I can count. But we're still together, do you know why?"  
  
"Because no one else would put up with either of you?" Scarlett quipped dryly.  
  
"Very funny, Red. No. Because we talk to each other. Above all else, we're best friends and we made a commitment to always talk things out. If you can't do that, you're screwed. Now. I'm calling Duke. No arguments. You two will hash this out. At the very least, you guys will sort this out so you can go back to being friends. Alright?"  
  
She nodded glumly. "You're worse than my father. He's always harping on me too." They both laughed. "I'm getting ordered around worse now that I'm out of the military than I was in." She winked, then stood up. "I can't argue with you. You're right, I've been very immature about this. I'll talk to him."  
  
"Good. Now. It's about chow time, and though Roadblock is cooking in a far better place now," she paused, swallowing, thinking about their fallen comrade, "the grub here isn't too bad and I'm sure everyone is dying to see you again.  
  
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They had dinner, having a grand old time, nostalgia rampant, remembering those who were gone and a cheer went around when Jaye shared that she was going to make sure Duke showed up within the next few days.   
  
As they cleared their things to leave, Lifeline stepped into pace with Scarlett. "Hey Red. How are you feeling these days?" He eyed her critically, watching for her honesty in response.  
  
"A little run-down" She admitted grudgingly. "I've been doing too much. That's why I'm on vacation. Trying to charge up the old battery." She knew better than to try and slip her condition past Lifeline, he knew her well enough and she also knew that because of doctor-patient priviledge, he wouldn't go blabbing about it to the rest of the team.  
  
He nodded, still speaking in quiet tones. "Come by my office if you have time. I'm worried about you, and I don't trust civilian doctors to do right by my favorite redhead." He winked to keep the tone light.  
  
"I will Doc. Joes honor. I can't really complain about people caring about me, now can I?" She smiled and caught up with Jaye and Flint before they noticed her lagging behind.  
  
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She didn't get by to Lifeline's office that night, too busy with spending time with old friends and having a grand old time, but the next morning while everyone was working and she had free time to roam, she headed in to see him.  
  
"Knock knock, have time for your favorite redhead?"  
  
"Cover Girl? Is that you?" He grinned at her as he joked.  
  
"I see, you say that to all the girls." She smiled back, then took a seat by him. "So. I've been feeling tired lately. Can't get enough sleep."  
  
"Appetite?" He got down to business and made notes as she spoke.  
  
"Ok. Not great. But not sick...just not very hungry."   
  
He nodded, thinking. "I won't ask if you are getting enough exercise," they both smiled, "any other pains or problems? When was your last period? Any chance you could be pregnant?"  
  
She shook her head. "Nothing I can think of. And," pauses for a moment, "3 weeks ago, I'm not very regular. And definitely not pregnant," she couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.  
  
"Ok. Well then there's no quick explanation, and that doesn't make me real happy. Care to make a fellow soldier happy and donate some blood for me to play with?" He tried to keep the mood light.  
  
"Sure. I am but your pincushion. What are you looking for?" A little concern sprung to her face.  
  
"Not sure. I don't think you're anemic, your color is pretty good, unless you suddenly started wearing a lot of makeup to hide it. So, I'm just going to run all the basic tests, see if anything pops out at me. Sound good?"  
  
"I guess so, you don't think it's anything serious, do you?" Now she was sounding fairly concerned.  
  
"I don't think so. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. And do me a favor, keep the workouts to a minimum. Tai Chi, yoga, pilates, but stay away from the really active stuff. I'd like to make sure nothing is going on first." His tone changed to slightly scolding, "And you should have seen a doctor before this. You know this is unusual for you."  
  
She nodded guility and rolled up her sleeve to allow him access to her vein. "Yeah. I was just hoping it was adjustment issues with the retirement."  
  
"It could be, but let's just be careful, ok?" He smiled reassuringly to her. "Try not to worry. Doctor's orders."  
  
"Ok. I'll trust you." Grinning as she rebuttoned her sleeve after he had taken 3 vials of blood. "Thank you for watching out for me. When should you know something?"   
  
"A day or two, but don't worry, alright?" 


	6. Reconcilliation

Another delightful chapter I hope! Not intending to infringe copyright, I think ya'll know that by now. I'm really not trying to torture you by making you wait too long because I'm just as impatient when it comes to stories like this. I will share much bitterness that I just found this site recently and go back and read all the half finished fics. *shakes a fist at the sky* Don't stop at the climax of the story damn you!!! Ok. I feel better now. On with the show!   
  
Keep reviewing if you keep liking. It's good for my ego, inspires me and makes me want to write faster because I know people are waiting to read :)  
  
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That night, Scarlett and Jaye were in their quarters with Flint, chatting. "Just like old times," she smiled wistfully at the couple curled up together on the couch. "When are you two setting a date?"  
  
"Don't look at me! I'm the one who wants one. She keeps holding out for something." He elbows her playfully. "I think it's a double wedding." A smirk came to Flint's face.  
  
Scarlett blushed as red as her name, looking at Jaye's face with admonishment apparent.  
  
Eyes twinkling, Jaye spoke up, seizing the moment, "Speaking of double weddings, I spoke to Conrad today." Scarlett glared at her at that segway but Jaye pretended to not notice. "He's arriving early tomorrow morning."  
  
Scarlett just nodded. "Ok. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll try and work something out with him. I have to admit, I've really missed him. Just for talking, you know?" She looked at the two of them and even before they nodded, she knew they understood completely.  
  
"I have a good feeling about this Red. You guys, you have a connection. I know you were involved with Snake Eyes, but I never thought he was right for you, no disrespect intended." Flint looked serious as he spoke. "It was just that he always cared for you so much, and he lost his face and voice to save you from that helicopter crash, and he was such a good man..." there was a slight pause as he considered his words. "I felt sometimes that maybe you were with him because you felt you should be, it was logical and right, but not because deep down you truly loved him."  
  
She considered this for a long moment before speaking quietly, "I can't say you are totally wrong. I cared for him and I loved him but it sometimes felt more like an arranged marriage than the man I chose for myself."  
  
Jaye nodded and leaned over and squeezed her hand. "I know hon. Go get some sleep. You'll want to be bright and perky for tomorrow."   
  
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The next morning came too quickly, Scarlett was still sleepy, but yet wired. She dressed in a pair of tailored khakis and a simple white blouse, leaving her hair down and slightly curled around her shoulders. It was a little shorter than it was when she was a Joe, but not by much. She looked in the mirror for one long last moment and prepared herself to see him again, then headed to the door.  
  
As she put her hand on the handle of the door, there was a knock on it. She jumped just a little and opened it, trying to calm her stomach when she saw it was Duke. He was just as handsome as she had remembered. Strong square jaw and the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen, and always flattered by his uniform. He seemed to be just as uneasy as she was.   
  
"Hey Shana." He sounded as nervous as she had ever heard him. "It's good to see you again. Allie sent me over here to check in on you."   
  
"Come on in, if you want. There's a couch and a couple chairs." A pause, then she offered a slight smile. "I've missed you Conrad."  
  
He sat down in a chair across from her, his tone ensuring there was no doubt in his sincerity, "I've missed you too."  
  
There was a long pause as they tried to figure out where to start, then finally she took the bull by the horns, trying to not sound too upset, "Why did you walk out on me that night? You didn't even say goodbye when I went home. That hurt, a lot. Even if you regretted that night, you were supposed to be my friend too, and you should have had more decency than to sneak out while I was sleeping."  
  
Conrad protested quickly, "I didn't regret it! I heard you talking about Snake Eyes in your sleep. I didn't want to be taking advantage of your grief in losing him! I felt terrible that the only reason you were there with me was because he was dead and you were drunk and lonely!" The last came out harsher than he intended, but Shana's face softened a bit.  
  
"That's not why I was with you Conrad. Not at all. I wasn't asleep." She sighed softly, meeting his eyes and speaking to him earnestly, "I was feeling guilty because I was so happy even though he was dead. And because he always knew how I felt about you and was insecure about it. It just felt like I was taking a cheap shot at a dead man. A man that although he loved me with all his heart, I was never able to give that back to him, no matter how much I felt I should or he deserved it. It belonged to someone else." She looked at him meaningfully, to let him know who that person was.   
  
He watched her, amazed at her words and candor. That's one of the things he always loved about her, her willingness to share her feelings with him, even when it was hard. He cursed himself silently for not giving her the chance to do so ealier and letting her slip away for 3 months. He stood up and kneeled by her, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry Shana. I loved you so much that I got stupid when I thought you wished we hadn't been together. I should never have walked out. I'll never do that to you again, if you give me the chance."  
  
She didn't hesitate at all. "Of course. How could I not?" A small pause, "I love you Conrad." She sighed, it felt good to get it off her chest finally and tell him, after all these years. They kissed passionately, when the phone rang. Shana couldn't help but giggle as she broke off the kiss. "I'm betting it's Jaye, calling to check in on us."   
  
Conrad grinned back and gave her a quick kiss. "Well then, don't keep her in suspense. Answer it."   
  
She leaned over and picked up the phone, "Scarlett here."  
  
Duke watched curiously her side of the conversation.   
  
"Ok.....Yes, I can come to your office.....Is everything ok?" Her face furrowed deeper into a frown as she spoke into the phone, "Alright then. I'll be over in 5." She hung up and looked at Conrad, biting her lip nervously. "I need to go. I'll be back later. Go ahead and tell Flint and Jaye the good news." She tried to not sound as worried as she felt, but he saw through her.  
  
"What's going on Shana?" His eyes were filled with concern as he looked her over, trying to pick out an injury or problem.  
  
"I don't know. I've not been feeling great and Lifeline was running some tests. He wants me to come into his office to talk about it." Her eyes showed her worry, despite her efforts.   
  
"Do you want me to come with you?" He took her hand, now worried himself.   
  
"No. I'll let you know if there's really a problem. I promise." She gave him a long kiss, then stood up and walked out the door with him. "I'm going to head over now. Please don't mention this to anyone else." He nodded as she hurried over to Lifeline's office. 


	7. Confusion

Disclaimers still hold true. Not trying to steal, just have a little fun.  
  
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Scarlett sat down in Lifeline's office, the unease clear on her face. She fiddled with a lock of her hair nervously as she looked at him. "So what's up?"  
  
He looked concerned as he watched her, "Well, I think I know why you've been feeling so run down. The reason I'm worried is how you reacted to some of the questions yesterday." She looked puzzled, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath and said gently, "You're pregnant Shana."  
  
She sat there, dumbfounded, staring at him, trying to comprehend. "But I can't be. I've had two periods since the last time I had sex!" She shook her head, trying to figure out how this could be.  
  
"That's why I'm concerned. I want to do an ultrasound to see how far along you are, and once we have that, we can start working on how conception happened." He seemed truly concerned by the situation, worried that it might not have been a willing act that led to conception.   
  
She nodded, still stunned. "Alright. When?"   
  
"Right away. I know you won't feel any better until this is settled, and honestly, neither will I. I'd prefer if you didn't drive yourself, alright?" She nodded mutely again as he stood up. "Don't worry Scarlett. We'll figure this out. Head over to the motor pool and I'll let people know you'll be back later. Alright?"  
  
Her voice failed her for a moment then she continued, "Yes, thank you Lifeline. I'll go right away.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Her mind wandered as she was driven into town, thinking about how this could happen. She was scared and worried, and the entire trip was passed in taught silence.   
  
When she arrived at the hospital, she went to the room that Lifeline told her to find, checking in with the receptionist and taking a seat. She thought of Conrad, wondering if she should have called him and had him come with her. She rejected the idea though because she still didn't really believe she was pregnant, and moreso, she knew it couldn't be his. Could it? Doubt and confusion reigned in her mind.  
  
After a short wait, they called her back, put the gel on her still flat stomach and used the transducer to see any images that would appear. The technician spoke to her reassuringly, not sure of the situation, but sensing Shana's unease.   
  
Suddenly on the screen she saw a small peanut shaped object with a quickly flashing light on it. "Is...is that the baby?" she breathed in awe.   
  
"Yes, there he or she is. The flashing is the heartbeat. Don't worry, I'll take pictures. I'm just going to do some measurements, then we'll be all done, alright?" The technician measured all sides of the peanut, taking several pictures to give to Shana, before finishing and wiping the gel off her stomach and giving her another towel to finish cleaning off.  
  
"So. Um. How far along am I?" She looked at the pictures in her hands with wonder. "Is everything ok with the baby?"  
  
"Everything seems fine now, I'll have to fax your doctor my report and he'll go over your due date. Congratulations Miss O'Hara. You're going to be a mother!"  
  
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Back at the base, Duke ran into Lifeline in the halls, "Hey Lifeline, is Scarlett still in your office?"  
  
Lifeline shook his head, "No, she had to run into town for something. She should be back in a couple of hours I think."  
  
"Is she alright?" He was worried about her since that phone call from Lifeline.  
  
"She's ok. I'll let her talk to you about it."   
  
Duke nodded and went back to find Flint.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The trip back to base was too short. Her mind flooded with worries and questions. How would her father react? Yes, it wasn't like she was a child, but he was a devout Catholic and she wasn't married. Would he still be able to look at her the same way? And Conrad. They were just reconcilling, how could she now tell him she was pregnant, and likely not with his child? How in the hell was it even possible?   
  
When they got back, she didn't even get two steps before Jaye caught up with her. "Scarlett! Where have you been? We've been worried."  
  
Scarlett looked around cautiously then spoke quietly, "Can we talk in private?"  
  
Jaye nodded immediately, leading her to an empty conference room and closing and locking the door behind them. "Are you alright Shana?"  
  
Scarlett sat in a chair with a sigh, nodding, "Yeah, I'm alright," She paused, not sure how to get through the next part, "I'm pregnant."  
  
Jaye's eyes widened, and then she gave a tentative smile, "Duke's baby?"  
  
She shook her head mutely as Jaye's smile turned to dismay, then spoke quietly. "I don't know who. The last person I ... I mean, as far as I know it was Conrad. But I had cycles after that I thought. I have to go talk to Lifeline about it. The technician at the hospital wouldn't tell me, just that my doctor would go over it with me."  
  
Jaye gave a smile she hoped would give her friend some strength to get through this and stood up. "Well then, you better get over there and get some answers. I know neither of us will be able to relax until you do."  
  
"Don't tell anyone. Well, you can tell Flint. But I need to figure this out before I tell Conrad. And my Da. He's going to be crushed." She sighed, and stood herself. "Alright. I'll go find out. Thank you Allie." A warm smile came to her face because she was very relieved that she was here with friends. 


	8. Planning

Heartfelt thanks for the continued positive reviews. I've disclaimed enough, if you don't know that I'm not trying to steal by now, you'll never believe me!  
  
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"Come on in and sit down Shana." Lifeline escorted her in and led her to a chair. "This is obviously not a specialty of mine, but I've been consulting with others. I thought you may be more comfortable seeing me instead of a stranger. If that's not the case, let me know and there are no hard feelings. It can be easier or harder knowing your doctor. So, before we go any further, please let me know of any concerns you have of me handling your case for now, until you get home to a regular doctor."   
  
She thought for moment, considering some of the awkwardness that will be involved, but then smiled, "No, I feel better having a friend who cares about me to talk about this. Especially someone who understands the situations."  
  
He nodded, and then looked down at the reports he had on his desk. "Alright. First, congratulations. I think you will be a wonderful mother," he paused as he smiled warmly at her. "You seem to be about 15-16 weeks along, which means conception happened around three months ago."   
  
"But...I've had my period since then!" She was clearly confused.  
  
He shook his head. "The ultrasound showed that there were a few subchorionic hemmorages, little bruises and tears on the placenta, and that is what caused the bleeding." He saw the worried look on her face and quickly continued, "they aren't serious though and the heartbeat is strong."  
  
She took a slow deep breath in and let it out. What a mess. She rubbed her temples and asked him tiredly, "So now what?"  
  
"Now? Well, you try to come to grips with it, tell the father, tell your family and decide what you want to do. You know, adoption is always an option." Lifeline laid his hand down on her arm, rubbing it lightly to calm her. "But knowing you, I think you'll do a wonderful job being a mother. And I'd like you to continue to take it easy. Just no heavy duty workouts, alright?"  
  
"Alright. Thanks. It means a lot to get all this information from a friend. Now just figuring out how to tell my very conservative Catholic father. Somehow when it comes to him I still feel like I'm 10 years old." A heavy sigh escaped her as she stood up and gave him a hug. "Thanks, I'll be around for a few more days at least, let me know if there's anything else I need to do."  
  
"Of course. You call me right away if you are bleeding or anything." She nodded and headed back out, somewhat in a daze.  
  
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She didn't get very far out of the office before Duke found her, looking around before taking her hand, and giving it a squeeze, murmuring softly to her, "You ok?"  
  
She nodded with a sigh, "Yeah, I am. We need to talk though. But....Not right now. I need to make a couple of calls and talk to Jaye first, ok?" He nodded, a little confused, but willing to take her word on it.   
  
"Alright. I'll talk to you when you're done." He gave her a light kiss, then walked out, his brow furrowed in thought and confusion. She wished she could just talk to him and tell him, but she needed to get her thoughts together first.   
  
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"Da? It's me." She decided she'd get the hardest things done first.   
  
"Everything going alright?" Concern tinged his voice a bit, not expecting to hear from her quite so soon.  
  
"I've had a few things come up, and I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be coming back to the house in a few days."  
  
"Is something wrong? Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm ok, I really don't want to go over it on the phone. But don't worry, I just hoped I could get someone to pick me up at the airport."  
  
"Alright sweetheart. Just call and let us know when to meet you."  
  
"I love you Da. Don't worry, please." She heard him reply with his love then she hung up the phone. She made a few quick phone calls to arrange for flights, then snuck off to Jaye's office to ask a favor of her and discuss what's going on before she went to talk to Duke.  
  
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"Have you told him yet?" Jaye watched Scarlett carefully as she sat down. "What did Lifeline tell you?" She resisted the urge to bombard her with more questions.  
  
"Well, it looks like the baby is Conrad's. I just was having some bleeding that confused things." She smiled weakly.  
  
"What? What's wrong, this is good news! You two have made up, you're expecting a baby, it's fate!"  
  
"You're right, we did just make up. That's what worries me. I know Duke. I know how he'll react. He knows how my family is. I..." She paused and sighed, sitting back further, "I don't want him to feel pressured into something he isn't ready for. Something I may not be ready for."  
  
Jaye nodded, suddenly understanding. "You are still going to tell him, right?"  
  
"Yes. I'm definitely going to tell him, and then I'm going to fly home and tell my dad and brothers. After that....well, I need your help with that." Jaye looked at her, intrigued, then listened as Scarlett spoke the rest of her ideas. 


	9. Resolution?

I've disclaimed enough, if you don't know that I'm not trying to steal by now, you'll never believe me!  
  
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Shana took a deep breath. She looked at Conrad, who was watching her with concern, the tension visible on her face. This was the big moment.  
  
"Conrad. I really. I don't know how to say this except for just coming out and saying it. I'm pregnant."  
  
He sat there in stunned silence for a moment, searching over her face as she avoided his eyes. "Is the baby mine?" His tone was impossible to read at this point.  
  
She paused, then nodded. He started nodding slowly after her, then looked at her, now a glint of curiosity as he reached over for her hand. "Everything ok with the baby? Is that why you went into town? Are you ok?"  
  
She tried to keep tears from springing to her eyes at his taking her hand and being worried about the baby. She knew he would never abandon her over this, but it was still a heart-pounding confession to make. "Baby is fine. I'm ok. I went into town to get an ultrasound just to make sure of some things. But everything is ok."  
  
Silence prevailed for a moment, just them watching each other, thoughts racing. Finally, Conrad moved over closer to Shana and kissed her gently, taking her into his strong arms. "I love you Shana. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not surprised, I can see this is a surprise to you as well. But, I am happy," He tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. "I'm going to be a father with the woman I've been in love with for years."  
  
Shana couldn't help it and just broke down into shaking sobs, "I love you too." He held her while she cried and when the tears finally stopped, he brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her again. "I'm leaving tomorrow, to tell my Da."  
  
"Of course. Do you want me to come as well?" She shook her head vehemently.  
  
"No, it's better if I am alone. My father's not met you before, I'd prefer if this was not your first meeting." She squeezed his hand to reassure him that it wasn't that she was trying to hide him from her father.  
  
"But I want him to know that I'm not going to leave you alone through this, that I love you and the baby." He caressed her cheek gently, bringing a smile to her face, his voice lowering to almost a whisper, "I want to marry you Shana. I love you and we're going to have a baby."  
  
"Stop," her voice was gentle to soften the blow of her words, "Don't, not right now. This is all going too fast. We just are starting a relationship really and now there's a baby...I don't want to rush into anything that we might come to regret later."  
  
Conrad's voice was earnest as he looked at her, "I've loved you for years. I will not regret this decision."  
  
"Please, I need some time too." His face seemed confused and hurt.  
  
"I think I understand," He released her hand and sat back into his chair, "Alright. Good luck with talking to your father." He stood up, his face a mask to hide his emotions.  
  
"Conrad, it's not that I don't love you. I'm just....overwhelmed. I need to figure out what this means for me personally before I start considering what it means for us as a couple." She sighed watching him, knowing she hurt him. "I love you Conrad. Please believe that."  
  
His shoulders slumped a bit and his tone softened, "I do. Take all the time that you need. You'll know how to find me." With that, he walked out the door.  
  
Watching him go, Shana sighed and rubbed her temples, then began packing for going home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She avoided everyone until it was time for her to go home. Another fresh-faced private drove her back to the civilian airport and before she knew it, she was on her way back home. This was really not turning out to be much of a vacation.  
  
Her father was waiting for her at the airport, worry lining his face. They retrieved her bags in silence, her not arguing when he hoisted the bag over his shoulder. They went to the car and the cold silence reigned.  
  
Finally, her bag was laid in the kitchen and they were both sitting with mugs of coffee. "Where are the boys?" She looked around at the unusually quiet house.  
  
"I told them to be scarce for the afternoon. You said we needed to have a talk, and I didn't want to be interrupted." She nodded to that, then sighed unhappily, taking a sip of coffee while collecting her thoughts. "Are you re-enlisting Shana?"  
  
She looked up at him, at his concern and realized his had been misplaced and sighed and shook her head, "No Da. I wish it were that easy." He arched a brow, waiting for her to continue. "Daddy, I am so sorry. I'm just so sorry."   
  
Her voice broke with the emotion, and now her father looked at her and spoke firmly, "You know Shana, I will always love you no matter what. You are my daughter and nothing could make me ashamed or sorry of that."  
  
She nodded glumly, her voice low, "I'm pregnant Daddy."  
  
Suddenly her father burst out laughing and she looked up at him sharply, confused. "Honey! Oh honey. I was so scared there was something really wrong. You frightened me pretty badly!" He chuckled a bit more, then got more serious. "This is the 20th century. You're a beautiful woman and by no means a child. I won't lie and say that I don't wish that you were married, but sweetheart, it's not that bad." He smiled at her reassuringly, then gave a wink. "And I'm going to be a grandfather!"  
  
"Daddy, how do you always know just the right thing to say? I was afraid you'd be disappointed in me. Or that Mama would."  
  
"Your Mama would be proud of the woman that you have become. An unplanned pregnancy couldn't change that. You should have known better Shana." He paused, then got more thoughtful, "Who is the father? Have you told him? Is he in the military?"  
  
"Yeah, he is. He's a good man too. He loves me. We had a fight when I left the military, but we've made up. He wants to marry me."  
  
"Do you love him? And are you sure that you are ready for marriage?" His tone was warm and reassuring, "I don't want you to rush into any decisions because you feel you have to, for the Church, for me or the baby."  
  
"I do love him. Very much. And I'm not sure. I think so, but all this has just happened so fast. I want to take some time to think about it all. He's not totally happy about that, but he isn't trying to stop me at all."   
  
"Well, you love each other, that's a good first step. Just take your time, he'll understand and be waiting for you if he really loves you. And why wouldn't he? You are a beautiful, caring and intelligent woman." She blushed at her father's praise. "I know you will make the right decisions."  
  
"Thank you Daddy, for trusting me and making me feel better." She gave him a big hug. "I'm going to head out by car soon. I'm going to stay at a friend's house up north. Just have some time to myself to meditate and things. I'll leave the address, alright?"  
  
"Of course. Take a cell phone please, just in case, to placate your aging father." He smiled at her warmly.  
  
"Yes Da." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you for everything."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The phone call to Conrad went better than expected. She explained she was going to be staying in one of Lady Jaye's cabins in the Appalachians for a few weeks. He wasn't happy that she was going alone, he was worried about problems, but she reassured him and told him that she would be back soon and they could start their life together then.   
  
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Ok. This is the end. Kind of. I'm going to keep writing in this particular timeline, but this particular arc is done. I'm really glad people enjoyed reading it, I certainly enjoyed writing it.   
  
I've decided to keep all these together in one story, just for ease of finding it. So, new stuff should be up soon. 


	10. Frost

See earlier chapters for disclaimers. As I said on the tail of the last chapter, I decided to keep the whole thing together in one story instead of splitting it into different stories. I think it will be better in the long run. I hope. I'm still new at this! Please note I also rewrote the end of this chapter because it was...well, awkward over the eyes I felt. I wasn't really happy with it when I reread it, so I fixed it (again, I hope!) 

Thanks for the continued reading and reviewing!

* * *

The slowly winding road led Shana O'Hara through the mountains, snow already on the ground giving it a beautiful serene feel. She arrived at the cabin that belonged to Allies family and chuckled a little. What they consider a little mountain get away would be a generous home to most families. She slung her duffel over her shoulder and unlocked the door, looking around.

Allie had sent someone ahead to stock the fridge and pantry, turn on the heat and lights and put fresh linens on the bed. Shana couldn't help but smile at all this, it made the cabin feel homey already. She found her way to the bedroom and bagan to unpack her things, keeping the place tidy behind her. Then she went to the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of hot tea.

Finally, she sat down on the couch, putting her feet up and taking out her cell phone. She dialed her father first, only reaching the machine, leaving a message for him and her brothers that she had arrived safely. Next, she dialed the number she knew would get her to Conrad.

"Duke here." His familiar strong and gruff voice melted her heart a bit and she left a long pause as she gathered her thoughts and wits about her. "Hello?"

"Hi. It's Scarlett," She wished her voice didn't sound so timid as she felt it did.

There was a rustling on the phone as presumably he moved to a place where he could talk a little more freely. "Hey, how are you? Where are you?" His tone was now gentle and soothing.

"I'm at Allie's parent's cabin. I'm doing ok. I miss you." She smiled a little as she spoke. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I wish you would believe that," he sighed in frustration at her. "How long are you planning on staying there?"

"Just a little while. Couple of weeks. Thank you for understanding, well, understanding as much as you can."

"Alright. Be careful. Call me if anything comes up." His voice lowered even further as he continued, "I love you Shana. Never forget that."

Emotion in her voice as she replied with nearly a whisper, "I love you too Conrad."

She finished her conversations on the phone and hung it up on the charger so it would be available when she needed it. She finished her tea and rubbed her eyes, looking around, deciding to move outside, to look around at the scenery.

Shana pulled her coat tight around her as she stepped out into the darkening evening, smiling at the icicles hanging from the trees and the snow blowing in patterns over the ground. She heard the noises of the animals moving through the woods behind the house, stepping off the patio to get a better feel for her surroundings before it got too dark.

She lost herself in the sights for a while, just marvelling at the beauty up here. She paused for a moment, listening, frowning as she heard something making its way through the snow.

Instincts took over and she slipped behind a tree, to see who was coming towards her area, seeing in a few moments, a young woman wearing snowshoes. Shana frowned in puzzlement, the snow wasn't that deep, made no sense to wear snow shoes. She stepped out from behind the tree to show herself, and the woman let out a startled yelp.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Shana apologized to the woman, still regarding her curiously.

"It's alright, I just wasn't expecting to see anyone," The woman blushed as she bent down to take the straps of the snowshoes off her feet.

Shana nodded to the snowshoes and arched a brow with a grin, "Mind if I ask why?"

The other woman laughed self-consciously, "Well, my boyfriend is going to take me on a cruise to Alaska in 2 weeks. He loves to go snowshoeing. I told him I already knew how to do it. Pretty stupid, huh?"

Shana couldn't help but laugh a little. "Maybe, but at least you are practicing before you get stuck in the Arctic. I'm Shana," she held her hand out to shake."

"Becky, its nice to meet you Shana," they shook hands then she looked around, "Um. Do you happen to know how to get back to the Howard's cabin?" Becky blushed furiously again.

Another laugh escaped from Shana's lips though she tried to smother it with her hand. "No, but I think I saw some maps back at my cabin. It's not far, would you like to come over for some tea and warm up?"

Becky nodded and they walked back to the cabin, the snowshoes tucked under her arm. Shana unlocked the door and ushered her in. "Take a seat anywhere, do you want some tea?" Becky nodded yes again and Shana went into the small kitchen to start a pot boiling.

As they sat and drank their tea, they started talking, and sharing stories of their lives. Becky had a boyfriend named Mike that was driving her crazy with his hot and cold style of relationships. Hesitantly at first, then with more ease, Shana poured out the story of what she had been dealing with lately; the baby, the doubt, the fear. It was easier to talk to her since she was completely disconnected from her life.

Becky looked at her appraisingly, "So, you think that he's just like this because of the baby?"

Shana shook her head, frowning, "No, I know he isn't. We reconcilled even before we knew about the baby. We've been close for a long time. I do believe that he loves me."

"Ok, then you, you think that you are just feeling this because of the baby?"

"No! Not at all. I've been in love with him silently for years, I just was in denial about it."

Becky took another sip of tea, then looked at her mildly, "So then why are you using the baby as an excuse to run away when you know you love each other? Just because it is happening quickly, doesn't make it bad. Just because you are pregnant doesn't make it bad. You're afraid, I think that's pretty normal considering the situation, but don't let that fear and the worry about what others will think stop you from doing what your heart tells you is right."

Shana just sat there dumbfounded, this person, practically a stranger, had given her more insight than anyone else had or could. "When you put it that way, it seems a lot easier to know what the right thing to do it."

Becky chuckled, finishing her tea and standing up, "I'm sorry, I really should be getting back, I'm sorry for having stayed so long, I don't want to interrupt your meditations and stuff. Do you know where that map is?"

Shana got up as well and found it, speaking as she moved and started pointing things out on the map, "Don't worry. I liked having an outside person to chat with, you've really helped me. Thanks for letting me ramble. I'd invite you back tomorrow, but I have the feeling I'm going to be on the road." She winked with a grin.

"It was my pleasure. Maybe the four of us can go out sometime on a double date. I hope to see you again Shana," She gave a wave as she headed to the door.

"I hope so too. Thanks Becky. Safe trip home. It's pretty dark, are you sure you'll be ok, I can drive you back," Shana frowned looking up at the large moon.

"Nahh. I'll be fine. I have a cell phone in case of emergency. I need the walk." She giggled and walked out the door.

Alone again, Shana thought of the day and her new friend. She thought of the things Becky had said and decided she was being stubborn. All that really mattered was that she and Conrad loved each other. She knew in her heart that Conrad was the right man for her and despite the timing of things, she was sure it would work out. She went to bed early to rest and get ready to suprise Conrad by driving back the next day.


	11. In the Lion's Den

Sorry for the slowness. We've just been moving into our new house and things have been insane over here :) 

See earlier chapters for disclaimers, they still hold true.

* * *

Conrad brushed his clothing off to remove any specks of dirt or lint. Dash elbowed him, hard. "You know, this is as nervous as I've ever seen you." He smirked superiorly.

"Shut up Dash. Not now." He fingered the box in his pocket, small and covered in velvet. He opened the car door and stepped out. "I'll call you when I'm done. Wish me luck."

"Good luck Conrad, you won't need it, you'll do great." With that, Conrad closed the car door and Dash drove back to the hotel. Conrad turned and looked at the modest house in front of him, again made sure his clothes all looked neat and walked up to the door and knocked.

A moment later, a well built older man opened the door. He looked Conrad up and down appraisingly, then said, "We're not interested in whatever you are selling."

Conrad was shocked into silence until he saw the door starting to close. "Wait, Mr. O'Hara, I'm not a salesman. I'm Conrad Hauser, I wanted to speak to you about Shana."

The door stopped almost immediately and the older man eyed Conrad even more critically. He paused then opened the door fully and gestured inside, "I suppose you should come in to talk."

Conrad thanked him, moving past the man, and into the living room. He had a seat on the couch as directed. "You have a beautiful home Mr. O'Hara."

He grumbled a little, "You can call me Patrick, and thank you. So what is your business with my daughter?" His voice was gruff and almost accusing.

One slow deep breath was needed before he could start speaking, "I know Shana has been home to tell you about the baby," Patrick nodded, his eyes narrowing a bit, which caused Conrad to swallow nervously, "I'm not sure how much she's told you. But, I'm, uh. I am the father of the baby." He could fight Cobra without breaking a sweat, but admitting to a woman's father that they had had sex, that was enough to make a man's courage flee.

He nodded, "I thought as much, seeing the way your hands are shaking. She's not here, she went off to be alone for a little while. She doesn't want to rush into anything." He watched Conrad as he spoke, guaging all of his reactions.

"I know sir. She told me that too. But I wanted to speak with you while she was gone," He paused, then continued, "I'm in love with Shana. I have been for years. But when we were working together it wasn't appropriate to have a relationship. And I didn't know if she felt the same way. But it seems as if she does and she is such an incredible woman, I'm not going to let her slip away."

Conrad withdrew from his pocket the small velvet covered box and opened it, showing a claddagh ring set with diamonds, "I bought this 2 years ago." Patrick looked at him, a little confused when he said that, "I found it in a store and when I learned what a claddagh meant, I bought it. I had hoped that one day I would get to propose to Shana and give her this ring."

Patrick exhaled slowly, giving a sad smile as he looked at the other man, "And you've been hanging onto it since?"

He nodded. "I wanted ask you if you would give your blessing to me to ask your daughter to marry me. I'm not asking because of the baby, but because she is the most amazing woman I've ever met and I've been madly in love with her for years and I don't want to go through the rest of my life without her to share it with."

Patrick chuckled softly, clapping Conrad on the back, "You seem to truly love her. I give you my blessing and I wish you the best of luck for asking her. You have to understand this is not the way I would have wished for it all to happen, but if it happened this way, it seems she chose the right man."

Conrad grinned largely in relief, then shook Patrick's hand, "Thank you sir, you will not regret it, and I promise, if she accepts, neither will she."

Dash's cellphone rang and he smirked, looking at the number, apparently Duke was ready for his ride. He answered the phone laughing as he spoke, "Dash here, ready for your coach, princess?"

"Very funny. And no. I'm not going to need chauffer services." Conrad sounded a little odd on the phone, and Dash arched his brow a little.

"Where are you? You walking home? Or is her dad going to drive you?" Curiosity tinged his voice, trying to discern what the other sounds in the background were.

"I rented a car. I do know how to drive," Conrad remarked dryly with a chuckle. "I'm, well. I'm on my way up to Jaye's cabin."

A hearty laugh came over the line, "You are nuts my man. Good luck. Call me if you need me."

Conrad grunted an agreement, then they hung up their phones. Dash smiled to himself and he leaned back in his chair. Conrad was head over heels about Shana, he had been for too long. He was happy they were finally getting together, and moreso, he knew Allie would be happy. Maybe now was the time for him to make an honest woman out of her. He went over to the hotel bed and laid down, flipping the TV on and thinking about it.

Conrad gripped the wheel of the car nervously as he drove. When he had gotten done speaking with Patrick, he had taken a walk. Halfway through, Shana's brother Sean had joined him. He spoke with Sean, Sean grilled him on his intentions about his sister, much the same as Patrick.

After he satisfied the other man about his sincerity, Sean stopped and looked at him appraisingly, "You really love her. Take care of her, OK?" Conrad nodded, and Sean continued, "Now go up and see her. I know she said she wanted to be alone, but I know she would love to see you too. She was afraid of you feeling trapped by this."

"I know. But I'm not. I've wanted to marry her for so long already, and I feel like an idiot for waiting so long!" Conrad gave a self-deprecating chuckle, "You're right. I should go up and see her. Thanks Sean. I'll see you soon I'm sure." The men shook hands and Conrad called a cab to take him to the rental car lot.

Now that he was on the road, he rehearsed in his mind what he would say once he arrived. The night started to fall as he reached the mountains. He hoped that Sean was right and she wasn't going to be upset that he came up when she was trying to be alone. He looked at the clock, it was getting late, but he finally saw the sign to turn into the final road, and that meant he was only minutes away.


	12. Thaw

See previous chapters for full disclaiming. No intent to steal or take anything away from anyone else, just have fun and entertain.

* * *

As the car pulled to a halt, Conrad took a deep breath. He watched the still dark cabin, porch lights on, creating pools of light where moths would have danced if it had been warmer. As it was, it was cold, and he shuddered slightly, wishing he had brought a coat, as his attire was suited for early fall in Georgia, not early winter in Appalachia.

He waited, wondering if he should go in yet. It was early, looking at the dashboard clock it read that it was only 6:15a.m. He didn't want to wake her, but he wasn't sure how long he could just sit in the car and wait, after driving all this time. He decided to unlatch his seatbelt and take a walk down the drive and just clear his head before going in to see her. He kept the small box in his pocket, not willing to leave it sitting in the car.

Shana rolled over with a groan and looked at the alarm clock beside the bed. Six a.m., damn early, but she was ready to start loading up the car with her few posessions. She hopped in the shower, not even bothering to turn on the lights that would only serve to hurt her night weary eyes.

The hot water beating against her skin made her feel better and more awake. She felt as though a fog were lifting from her brain, a fog that had been there ever since she found out she was pregnant.

Pregnant. She is going to be a mother. That notion was foreign, frightening and exciting at the same time. Her hands slipped over her stomach, still showing no sign of anything lurking beneath the surface. It was an amazing thing, no doubt about that. She couldn't believe that it was happening to her.

She had wanted a child, most women do at some point in their lives, but her chosen career and strengths made the prospect of a child so...inconvient for lack of a better word. There was never a good time to take off to have a baby. And especially with the Joes, it wasn't a normal job that you could take a maternity leave and then come back. It just didn't work like that.

Now that she was confronted with it, no choice about the matter, she was glad in a way. If it had been left up to her alone, she may not have decided to have a baby until it was too late. The whole thing had a feeling of fate, or the hand of God. She and Conrad were meant to be.

With that thought, she shut off the shower, wrapping her long hair in a towel and another towel used to dry herself off. She shivered and quickly got dressed; jeans, flannel and a t-shirt underneath to wear once she got back to the South. She swiftly plaited her hair into a thick braid down her back, still fairly damp from the shower.

As she turned on a few lights and moved her bags towards the front, she thought she heard something outside the cabin. A look out the window caught a shadowy figure moving towards the front door. Too early for Becky to be coming over, no one else expected up here. Instincts then took over: secure the area and see who the intruder was.

She grabbed her pistol from the bag, moving quietly around the cabin, checking each room, making sure all windows and doors were secured. As she was finishing her inspection, she heard footsteps on the front porch and she frowned, it wasn't typical for most attackers or theives to come to the front door, nevertheless, she kept her sidearm with her as she moved to the front door.

Conrad paused with his hand mid-knock. He lowered his hand, then raised it again. He felt like he was some geeky 13 year old trying to ask the most popular girl to the prom suddenly. He took a few slow deep breaths, wondering if she was really up. He thought about maybe looking in a few of the windows, but didn't want to be mistaken for a peeping tom.

Finally, he knocked. He realized the first couple of knocks were fairly faint, so he struck the wood a little harder with his knuckles and waited, his face stoic as he tried to hide his nervousness to see her again as the door swung open.

Shana unlocked the door and let it swing open on its own as she stayed behind the doorframe for cover, peeking around just slightly to see who was coming. "Duke!" she exclaimed with relief as she saw his familiar form, flipping the safety back on her gun and lowering it.

"You weren't planning on shooting me with that, were you Red?" The jokes helped to take his mind off his nervousness. "I've heard of pregnancy making women weepy, but never paranoid!"

She smirked, reaching out her hand for his, which he accepted quickly stepping over the doorjamb. "I wasn't expecting anyone and it's early and better safe than sorry. Speaking of which, what are you doing here?" She regarded him curiously, picking up on a few hints of his unease, despite how well they were hidden.

He looked at her seriously, pulling her along to sit on the couch with him, "We lost three months before because of self-imposed silence. I don't want to lose more time with you. I love you." He reached up and caressed her cheek gently.

"I love you too, and neither did I," she admitted. "I was getting ready to go back today. After talking with a new friend, I worked out in my head what I needed to work out."

Now his eyes showed some curiosity, but he let it pass, continuing his speech, not wanting to delay it more. "Shana, I love you more than I can say. I'm not a poet by any way of looking at it so I won't try." With that said, he got down on one knee in front of her, fishing the box out and opening it, as Shana's jaw dropped in surprise when she saw the ring. "Shana O'Hara, I would be the luckiest man in the world if you would consider becoming my wife." He looked at her seriously, looking down at the ring then back to her face while she stared at it, speechless, "Yes, it's the same one you looked at a couple of years ago. I got it then, hoping that someday I'd be able to do this. I just regret I waited so long."

He looked at her lovingly, waiting for a response in the long moment after he stopped speaking. He began to get nervous that she wasn't going to say yes when she blurted out suddenly, "Of course I will Conrad." She got on her knees with him and kissed him passionately, tears starting to stream down her face, "I can't believe you bought that ring back then. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife." He slipped the ring onto her finger as tears continued to flow.

They embraced and kissed again, this time for longer, then finally they broken away and sat back on the couch, Conrad's arms around Shana's body comfortably as she smiled and gently stroked his hand. "My family may flip a little, they've never even met you. And Allie is going to be so pleased," she couldn't help but chuckle at that, then heard Conrad clear his throat sheepishly.

"Actually. I already have met your dad and one of your brothers. You're southern, and well, I thought it would be considered proper to ask for your hand." He kept the sheepish expression as she giggled, nudging him.

"You are perfect, did you know that?" She turned around so she could see him better, giving him an adoring smile. "You really are. I love you." They kissed again and with little thought, decided to spend the day at the cabin, figuring they could get back just as easily the next day.


	13. The Call

Please see earlier chapters for full and more entertaining disclaiming :D 

Sorry this one is so short, this is a transition chapter :) Thanks for continuing to r&r

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Conrad's cell phone rang too early the next morning. Conrad decided he was going to kill Dash if it was him. He rolled over, trying to not disturb Shana from her sleep and picked up the phone. "Duke here."

"Duke, it's Hawk. We've got a situation that's come up. I know you are on leave and I hate to do it, but I need to recall you." His voice confused Duke a little, there was a mixture of excitement in with the concern. "Report to the Pitt ASAP."

"What's going on? The Pitt?" He sat up in bed, Shana smiling as she propped herself up on one elbow watching him, though familiar curiosity was sparkling in her eyes watching him speak.

"I'll tell you when you get here. And invite Scarlett to come, if she wants. She's obviously not required, but I'd like her there. Rumor has it that you know where she is." The general chuckled a bit, having already spoken to Flint and knowing full well that they were together.

Conrad looked at Shana and hesitated. She smiled at him and reached over to gently caress his arm, mouthing 'What's wrong?' silently. He held up a finger to communicate that he'd explain in a moment and finally spoke back into the phone, "Alright. I'll tell her when I see her." She smirked at that. "My ETA should be around 1800. Duke out."

He hung up the phone and took her into his arms, kissing her gently. This wasn't fair, he finally had her in his arms and the world conspired to take their time alone away. He ran his fingers through her long red hair, taking a long, slow breath.

"What is it Conrad?" She was concerned now, feeling the tension in his body and seeing the worry in his face. She lightly kissed his neck, lacing her fingers with his free hand.

"Something's up, and they need me to go back to work." She nodded, letting him continue, "I don't know what is going on exactly, just that I'm supposed to report to the Pitt and that Hawk invited you to come along as well." He paused as he looked at her, "But I don't know if I want you to go.

She frowned, sitting up a little more, "Why is that? You think its bad?"

He nodded a little, "I think they'll want you to re-enlist. I don't know if I want you to do that," He saw the indignant look on Shana's face and amended quickly, "Right now I mean. I'm just thinking of the baby." His hand slipped over to her belly, carressing it carefully.

She put her other hand over his and looked into his eyes. "I'm going with you. If there is something bad, I'd rather be trying to stop it and make sure this is a world that's safe for a child. There are things I can do that don't involve getting my hands real dirty." They kissed for a long moment, then Shana sighed. "Back to reality. It would have been nice to stay here for forever."

Conrad smiled back at her and gave her another kiss before standing and getting dressed. He sat down on the bed while he watched her braid her hair and get dressed as well. "You know, I am very serious about wanting to marry you Shana. And I don't want to wait too long. You know as well as I do that this is a dangerous job and we shouldn't take any time for granted. We've lost too much time already."

She stopped, looking at him then sitting down next to him on the bed. "I know. And I agree," She smiled as relief showed on his face. "I'll talk to my father and Allie, see what we can get done." She grinned and smirked, "I'd like to do it before I'm as big as a house!" He laughed too, then they finished loading up her car.

Shana left a note taped to the door of the cabin, for Becky if she were to come by, just letting her know that her plans had changed an a cell number for her to call if she ever needed it.

They kissed for a long time before getting into their respective cars, then began the long drive back to Georgia before their trip back to the Pitt.


	14. Home is Where the Heart Is

Please see earlier chapters for full and more entertaining disclaiming :D 

Hope people are still reading along :)

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They hadn't been on the road long when Shana's phone rang, she touched the earpiece's button, activating hands-free mode and smiled as she heard Conrad's voice. "Hey beautiful."

"Hi handsome. What's up?" She couldn't help but grin a little as she spoke, and look down to her hand, now the bearer of a beautiful claddaugh set with diamonds.

"Well, Dash just called. He's impatient and leaving without me," Conrad chuckled a bit at that, "So I think I'm just going to head straight to HQ. Any hopes I could talk you into skipping going home and maybe stopping to combine cars?"

Shana paused while she thought. She wanted to tell her dad in person, but she also wanted Duke there. It would also be a lot faster and easier to go straight to base instead of going home first. And her father wouldn't be expecting her home so soon anyways. "Sure. Sounds like a good plan to me. I'd rather have you in the car when I'm driving anyways."

"Alright. We'll stop soon and drop off my rental and just take your car out. I love you." The line cut out after she echoed his sentiments back and she was left alone in the car again.

Pregnant. Now engaged. She had been trying to avoid getting engaged, but it seemed like it was for such a stupid reason in hindsight. How could she have ever thought that Conrad would feel pressured? She looked again at the ring he had bought years ago in the hopes that someday he could give it to her and smiled. He had obviously been in love with her for a long time and nothing was going to change that.

Her mind wandered back to Snake Eyes for a moment, knowing that he was probably the reason that it took so long for she and Duke to come together. But Allie was right now that she looked back on it. She loved him, she wouldn't deny that, but it wasn't the kind of love that a marriage could be built on. She felt obligated to him on some level. And even if they could have lasted, he was gone now. There was nothing she could do about that. She loved Conrad, she felt that deeply and she knew that this would turn out ok.

They pulled off in the next big city, leaving Conrad's rental car at the rental office, and loading what little he had into her car. She smiled demurely as he opened the car door for her, then couldn't help at nudging him with a joke, "So does this mean in battle, you'll let the ladies, namely me, go first?"

He laughed as he shut the door and got in on the other side, "Only if we had a fight that morning." He leaned over and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair, then buckling his seatbelt. He reached over to take her hand once they were back on the road. "Are you doing ok?"

"I feel fine, I'm a pretty hardy lady. I am a Joe afterall." Shana gave him a wink, then continued, knowing that wasn't the only thing he was referring to, "But really, I am doing ok. My head is filled with plans for the wedding suddenly, and I have this urge to put Jaye into something truly horrifying as a bridesmaid," A snicker from both of them at that, "I'm doing well. I was thinking about it while driving. I was just trying to hide by going up to the cabin. This is scary. My entire world has changed in the course of a week!"

He squeezed her hand tightly and smiled, "It may have changed, but it will be for the better, I promise." She smiled back and they continued their drive.

A soft kiss woke Shana up and she opened her eyes to see Conrad smiling at her and saying softly, "We're here. Have a good nap?"

She laughed and stretched nodding to him, "Thanks for taking over the drive. I've not had much morning sickness, but the exhaustion is a killer!" He helped her out of the car and she looked around the base in the fading light of day. "Is it wrong that I feel like I'm coming home?"

Leaving her things in the car, he slipped an arm around her waist as they walked to the offices, "No. Not at all, it means that we're your family, just as much as your dad and brothers are." She nodded and put her arm around him too while he continued, "I called ahead, most are already here, they should be waiting for us in the common room."

With that, they walked into the building and made their way to the common area. It was incredibly quiet and Shana arched a brow and looked at Conrad with a smirk, "I'm walking into a trap, aren't I?"

He grinned back at her and kissed her quickly, "Shush. Put it out of your head. Keep moving Red." She elbowed him a little with a grin and continued on.

The common room was lit, but appeared to be empty. Conrad released her and pushed her gently in front of him to enter the room. As she walked in, people jumped out of their hiding places to yell 'suprise!'.

She still managed to seem shocked and gave Duke a glance that told him he'd have to pay for this later. He winked back at her, allowing everyone to gather around them to hear the story of how they were engaged. She gave him a questioning look, wondering whether he told them about the baby too, and he shook his head very gently, not knowing how she felt about people knowing.

Jaye came over to her and gave her a big hug, whispering to her quietly, "I knew it would end up like this, you were meant to be together. Congratulations." Scarlett hugged her back tightly with a smile.

"Red and Top, getting married. It's about damn time!" Shipwreck interjected into the conversation, bringing laughter from the group.

They went around hugging their former teammates and promising to invite them all to the wedding, all the while, an undercurrent of nervousness coursed through the group. As they broke into small groups to talk, the topic of course wandered to why exactly they had all been called together.

Scarlett looked around the group during a lull in the conversation and smiled, Duke was right, this was her family, just as much as any others. She sighed softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and looking over to Duke, who was so much in his element here. She could tell, he was going to be a great father.

Beachhead nudged Scarlett, "You're looking tired there Red, maybe you should hit the hay." A few sets of concerned eyes fell on her, some knowing she had been ill before but not yet knowing about the baby.

She stammered for a few moments, debating about whether to tell them now or later, but deciding to wait until she had spoken to Duke about it. "Sorry, it's been a long drive out here." She smiled and shrugged apologetically, "I probably should get to sleep. Thank you everyone for the congratulations, I'll see you at 0700 tomorrow morning." She waved to everyone and then gave Duke a kiss, which drew hoots and hollers from the onlookers and headed to her quarters.


	15. It's off to work we go

Thanks for keeping on reading.   
  
Santiago - Um. Thanks for letting me know how you feel, but not all of us have read the comics. That's why G.I. Joe is listed under cartoon, not comic ;) The reason people see d/s, is because the cartoon was much more d/s. There were some subtle hints at possible SE/S, but mostly, it was d/s. Sometime I'd like to read the comic if I can get my hands on them. So anyway, if d/s fics upset you so much, I'd suggest you not read them *L*  
  
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0700 came and all the former Joes were gathered in the conference room. Scarlett felt distinctly out of place, being the only one not in uniform, but she was civilian now and anyway, her old uniform probably wouldn't fit, as her stomach was ever so slowly starting to expand. Duke winked at her and she smiled back, then turned her attention to Hawk as he entered the room.  
  
"Good morning everyone. I appreciate you all taking the time to travel out here." The group murmured quietly about how it was no trouble, and he continued, "I'm sure you are all curious as to why I've called you all here."  
  
He hesitated as he looked over the group, then pulled out folders, tossing them across the table to each member seated. They were all plain envelopes that were sealed with tape denoting 'Top Secret'. Scarlett arched a brow and looked at Hawk, "Are you sure I should be getting one of these?"  
  
He nodded to her, "You still have the clearance Scarlett. Basically, Cobra has reformed. We know very little able it now, but when the President heard, he authorized the re-establishment of G.I. Joe." There was a long pause as this sank in.  
  
"Hot damn! It's about damn time they realized how much they needed our team!" Shipwreck's exuberance caused a chuckle to ripple through everyone. "So when do we start back to work?"  
  
"As soon as I sign your transfer orders. And re-enlistment." He looked pointedly to Scarlett at that, as other eyes followed to her too.   
  
She fingered the envelope carefully, looked at Duke, reading the concern on his face, then to the hopeful expressions of her other teammates. "Yeah. I'm in." She grinned and Jaye leaned over to give her a half hug. "You all will have to explain to my Dad!"   
  
Flint smirked and said, "Leave that to Duke. Trial by fire and all that!" That brought another chuckle and Scarlett blushed just a little.  
  
Hawk grinned, "Good to hear. I hear that you and Top are going to be getting hitched too. Congratulations to the both of you." Then, getting down to business, the meeting continued, discussing the more technical aspects of reassembling the team.   
  
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Later on in the afternoon, Hawk pulled her into his office to do the more formal paperwork and minutiae of her reenlistment. She sat down in a chair across from his desk gracefully with a smile as he spoke, "Glad to have you back on the team Scarlett."  
  
"I couldn't stay away if the Joes were being reinstated. I'd miss it too much." She grinned, then continued more seriously, "There is just one wrinkle that I need to speak to you about."  
  
Hawk frowned, then leaned forward to regard her, "What's up Red? Concerned about the situation with Duke?"  
  
She shook her head quickly, "No, not at all. I just need to stay out of the field." She paused as Hawk looked at her questioningly. A few more beats passed and then she continued quietly, "I'm pregnant and Duke and I decided that it would be best if I kept my work more local."  
  
There was a moment of stunned silence, then Hawk looked at her with concern, "Of course we can do that, are you ok?"   
  
"I'm fine, I'm wonderful, the timing isn't what I had in mind, but it is wonderful, really." She smiled happily, "It's happening pretty fast I know, but we're very happy about it. I'm actually in my second trimester already."   
  
"Well. Uh. Alright." He still seemed to be in shock, "You really don't look pregnant!"   
  
Scarlett laughed, "Thank you, I think. Anyway, if I could do computer intelligence and other more desk jobs, I think I can still contribute to the team, especially as we rebuild."  
  
"Of course of course! You will always have a place on the team Scarlett." He stood to reach over the desk to shake her hand. She smiled, shook with him, then gave him a salute. "Alright then, get back to work. Do the rest of the guys know?"  
  
She shook her head lightly, "No. Some do, but I haven't announced it yet." He nodded, telling her without words that he was intending on keeping his mouth shut about it to the general public and she smiled, "Thank you. I will have to get a new uniform though," That brought a laugh to both of them, then she exited the office, where Duke was waiting.   
  
He looked around quickly to see who was watching then gave her a quick kiss. "How did it go? Everything ok?"  
  
Scarlett smiled easily. "EVerything's great. Don't worry." She nudging him as she spoke, "I swear I am not a china doll, and I'll have to break bones if people start treating me like I was!"  
  
"Ok ok!" Duke held his hands up in mock surrender. "No treating you different. But be careful anyway, alright? Don't do too much just to prove you can." His face was serious as he spoke, knowing her propensity towards pushing herself too hard.  
  
"I'll be good. I promise." She gave him a quick kiss, then went over to a computer station to start getting herself set up as a technician.   
  
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Later that night, Scarlett went back to her room, rubbing her back slightly as she sat down on her bed. She was not used to doing so much computer work and it was definitely going to take some getting used to. She changed into a pair of shorts and t-shirt, pulling up the hem slightly and looking at her profile in the mirror, then lightly tracing it with her hand. There was something definitely in there, though probably no one else could tell. She let her shirt fall and then sat back down on the bed, grabbing the phone and dialing her father's number.  
  
"Hello?" Sean's deep voice spoke on the other end of the line.  
  
"Hey Sean, it's me. Is Dad there?"  
  
"Yeah, are you done on your vacation already? Bored out of your skull up there?" He snickered just a little.  
  
"Uh. Yeah, I'm done with my vacation, but can't say that I'm bored. Get Da for me, ok?" She heard him grunt and then yell for their dad and after a moment, her father was on the line.  
  
"Everything alright honey?" There was a hint of concern and Scarlett felt a pang of guilt for that. Her father worried about her too much and she always had to keep him in the dark about most things, all he knew was that she was away and doing a dangerous but important job.   
  
"Yeah." She took a deep breath because she knew he wouldn't want to hear the next part, "There's been an...issue here though. I'm fine, but the military has been recalling everyone in my unit. It's not mandatory, but I'm going to go back if they need me."  
  
There was disappointment in his voice perhaps, mixed with the worry, "Are you sure that's a good idea, considering your condition?"  
  
"I'm not a doll," she snapped, echoing what she had said to Duke earlier, "I'm not going to go nuts out there, but people have been living normal lives while pregnant for centuries and it won't hurt me or the baby to keep working here. It would probably be even less dangerous than my teaching at the dojo!" She realized that her voice was raising and her tone was more harsh than intended. "I'm sorry Dad. It's just I'm glad that people care about me and the baby and how we're doing, but you have to have faith that I will take care of us."  
  
A deep sigh came from the other end. "I do trust you, sweetheart. But I'll never be able to stop worrying about you. It's just the way it goes, you are my only daughter and this is my first grandchild."  
  
"You're right, I know. Just stress talking." She ran a hand through her hair as there was a knock on the door and then Jaye's head peeked in. She held up one finger to Jaye to let her know she was almost done, then returned her attention to the conversation at hand. "I am going to have to run, but keep two weeks from Sunday open. We're going to put together a quick wedding and probably have it up here, if that is ok."  
  
Silence for a moment on the other end of the line, "You're not going to be married in the Church?" Now the disapproval was clear.  
  
"Not yet. We don't have time to do the preparations and pre-cana. We're going to do a small civil ceremony, then we'd like to maybe renew our vows later, after the baby comes. Have the marriage blessed. Duke's talking about converting." Jaye smirked hearing her say that and Scarlett waved annoyedly at the smirk, a grin on her own face.  
  
The thought that his future son-in-law was going to convert was enough to mollify Patrick for now, and he grumbled, "Well, I guess that will work too."  
  
"It'll be better this way. I'll call you when we have more details. I love you Dad." Her father responded in kind, and she hung up the phone, grinning at Jaye.  
  
"Duke's going to convert?"   
  
"Well, he knows it's important in my family. It's not in his." She shrugged with a smile. "He wants my Dad to like him. Anyway, come on in, have a seat."  
  
Jaye moved into the room and sat down on the bed, across from Scarlett. "So, two weeks is all we have to throw this together? And how are you feeling?"  
  
"Slightly annoyed that everyone is so worried about how I am feeling," she smiled wryly, "But otherwise, ok. And yeah, two weeks should be enough. I just want someone to perform the ceremony, our immediate families and our closest friends. We'll have the big "to-do" when I'm not showing off how much of a sinner I am and we get blessed in the church."  
  
"Sounds like a good plan." She regarded Scarlett carefully, "You still haven't told everyone. When are you going to?"  
  
Her face folded into a frown, "I don't know. I don't want everyone hovering over me, but people are going to realize something is up if I don't do field work. And of course everyone here is like family, and I hate keeping things from them. It's just now, it's an awkward thing to break into the conversation. 'Oh, hi there, why yes, I am pregnant, not just fat.'" That caused them both to laugh. "Maybe tomorrow. I'll talk to Duke about it."  
  
Almost on cue, there was a sharp rap at the door. Jaye got up and opened it, looking out at Duke with an arched brow, smirking at the confusion on his face to have her answering the door. He stepped back, looking up at the number again, then looked past the snickering Jaye to see Scarlett sitting on the bed. "Whew, for a moment there, I thought I was going to be in big trouble with Flint."  
  
Jaye patted his arm as she moved past him to exit the room, "No trouble. You two talk. I need to find that troublemaker anyway." She smiled and gave a little wave, then walked out into the hallway. Duke closed the door behind her, going up to Scarlett and giving her a gentle kiss.  
  
He started to open his mouth when she interrupted him, holding up a finger, "Don't ask me how I'm feeling. I'm fine. We're fine."   
  
Sheepishly, he shrugged, "I just want to make sure you are ok." Seeing the warning look on her face, he quickly continued, "But obviously you are, there's no reason to think you wouldn't be ok." She sat back, placated. "I just wanted to give you a little update on things." He took her hand and caressed it softly as he spoke, "I spoke to Hawk about doing a small ceremony nearby, he'll help make sure it happens. And he's going to move your quarters as of tomorrow, so don't get unpacked."  
  
That brought a large smile to her face, "Really? Even before we are married?" In some respects the military was worse than her dad regarding that issue.   
  
"Yes, rank has its privilege, and he seems to think we'll both go through with it." That brought a smile to her face and he quickly kissed her. "So it's all coming together." He touched her chin to bring her eyes to meet his, "This was meant to be, and it's going to be wonderful."  
  
"With you there, I know it will be." She gave him a fairly passionate kiss, then a little push. "Now off to bed with you. I need my beauty rest and you should enjoy your last night having the bed to yourself." Duke gave a mock frown in protest, resuming the kiss for just a while longer, then he pulled away gently and bid her good night and went to his quarters.  
  
Scarlett smiled as she watched him go, agreeing mentally that this was meant to be. She slipped under the sheets and blankets on her bed, thinking of all she had to do the next day, but then quickly being overtaken by sleep and dreams. 


	16. Galloping Horses

General disclaimers apply, please see earlier chapters for much butt covering.   
  
I should warn people, I love Stephen King as an author, and while I'll try and stop myself before I make anything as horribly long as his works, I hate to stop the story as long as it is still there. If people get bored, just give me a kick and tell me to wrap it up, I may comply!  
  
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The next few days seemed to fly by. Shana worked out the final details of her return, being a little more complicated than she initially thought. She knew the Joes were shielded from much of the enforcement of the rules of fraternization, but apparently this was too much for them to overlook even as Joes. Plus there was the consideration of how she would fit in after the baby was born. Hawk found a loophole though and she was firmly back on the team, though as a government contractor, not a military member. It seemed to be for the best, it allowed her to continue her relationship with Duke without running into the rules, including ensuring that they could share quarters and move together if they were restationed, and made her father and Duke both happy that she wasn't authorized to go into the field.   
  
So, she stayed a quasi-civilian, moving into Duke's quarters joyfully and in every break from the military work, calling around, making plans for the wedding. She was trying to keep it as simple as possible but it always seemed there was something else that needed to be done. Dash had approached her about doing something special as a suprise for Allie and so she was busy incorporating that into the plans too.   
  
And of course on top of that, she was doing her regular work. Cobra was trying to reform and they had piles and piles of files and reports to sift through and try to decipher what was important and what was unrelated. Mainframe was busy getting the computer system online and protected and much of the sifting of what was important fell to her as an experienced intelligence officer. None of it made sense though, the bits of activity that Cobra had going on. It wasn't connecting. Obviously they were trying to rebuild, but how, and where and most importantly, who was orchestrating it?   
  
She sat back in her chair, looking over the file in hand, reporting on a sighting of the Dreadnocks down in Louisiana, robbing a tattoo parlor of all places. She sighed in frustration, trying to pick out what exactly they were after. She felt strong hands on her shoulders and looked up quickly, relaxing when she confirmed Duke's presence.   
  
He arched a brow with a smile, "Who exactly were you expecting?"  
  
She set the file down, smiling back at him, "Sorry, just feel like I'm beating my head against a wall trying to figure out what the hell they are up to. How are you doing? How are things coming back together?"  
  
"Better than I thought. It's hard, we are still dealing with the losses from before, plus just trying to figure out where to start." She nodded in sympathy, feeling the same futility in her actions, and of course the ache of those gone before. He stroked her hair softly, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "I love you though, and you look fabulous in civvies." They both laughed at that. Since she was officially a contractor now, she could set what she wanted to wear within reason.   
  
"Well, you look fabulous in uniform," She winked as she looked up at the clock, running her fingers through her hair quickly and standing. "You hold down the post Sgt. I've got an appointment to make."  
  
Duke looked at her quizzically, "With Hawk? Something wrong?" His protective streak was a mile wide when it came to her even before they were together, but it had gotten so much worse since he found out she was pregnant.  
  
With an exasperated sigh she shook her head, "No, I would tell you if there is a problem, trust me. Just a doctor's appointment," She saw the concerned expression on his face and continued before he could interrupt, "A ROUTINE appointment."  
  
Placated, he looked around the room, then back at her, asking almost timidly, "Do you want me to go? Can I?" It was endearingly awkward to hear him, a man who knew her intimately, who faced down situations that would terrify most, and yet the idea of the growing baby scared him.  
  
She couldn't help but laughed hearing his words, "If you want, big guy. You don't have to be so nervous about it. It should be a quick appointment, Doc is going to do it here." She patted his arm reassuringly, "It would be wonderful if you went with me."  
  
His nervousness didn't abate much and he offered her a hand to stand up, "Alright, I'll just take a break." He licked his lips, then moved over to where Flint and Hawk were deep in discussions. They paused and looked at him expectantly as he approached. He gave a formal salute. Hawk saluted back with amusement and waited for Duke to speak. "Permission for a break sir? I would like to accompany Sgt. O'Hara to her doctor's appointment."  
  
Flint hid his laughter behind his hand to see Duke so nervous and stiffy formal. Hawk didn't even bother to try and hide it. "At ease. Of course. Make sure everything is cooking how it should. And Duke, take it from me, this is the easy part. Calm down. You'll give yourself an ulcer."  
  
A slight rise of color was the only hint of his embarassment as he quickly ushered Scarlett out of the room, laughter following him out the door.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Down in the infirmary, Scarlett laid on the table, Duke holding her hand tightly. There was a quick knock on the door and then Doc peeked his head in. "How are you feeling today Shana?"  
  
"Fine, not really had much morning sickness. Except for feeling so tired for a while, I wouldn't have thought I was pregnant at all. But even that's gone away, I feel totally....normal." A hint of anxiety crept into her voice, "That's normal, right?"  
  
Doc chuckled a little. "Yes, that's normal. Don't worry. This is probably the best you'll feel during your pregnancy. Not big yet, and not having to deal with the tiredness and morning sickness." He looked over her chart in his hand. "Everything looks pretty good. Labs are all normal, your blood pressure is a little higher than I would expect, but that's fairly normal too, we'll just keep an eye on it." He looked at the two of them and grinned. "Is this Duke's first appointment with you?"  
  
She nodded with a smile, squeezing Duke's hand as Doc continued. "Well then, we should make it special for the First Sergeant. Go on and lift up your shirt a bit."  
  
Dutifully she raised her shirt to give him access to her stomach and he felt around, then pulled out a bottle of gel and squirted some on her abdomen. He took out the little hand held machine and pressed it to her skin, keeping a steady stream of conversation going, "You know of course obstetrics is not my speciality, but luckily it's not that hard to do." He gave a little wink and a slow 'thump thump' came from the box in his hand.  
  
Duke quickly cut in, "Is that the baby?" He stared at Scarlett's belly, his tone reverent.  
  
Doc laughed a little, "No no, that's Shana's. Much too slow to be the babys. The baby will sound like a galloping horse." He moved the wand all over her abdomen, listening to hear the rapid fire beats of the baby's.   
  
The longer he looked, the more uneasy Duke and Scarlett grew. Finally, she spoke up, "Is everything alright? Where is the heartbeat?"   
  
Doc wiped off her belly quickly, putting the doppler down, trying to seem reassuring, "It happens, little baby, big belly. They like to hide. But," With that word, Duke and Scarlett's hands tightened around each other nervously, "How about we take a peek in there, just to be sure?"  
  
They both nodded anxiously and Scarlett looked at Duke as Doc exited the room to bring the ultrasound machine in. "What if there is a problem?" She looked up at him, the fear clearly in her eyes.  
  
Duke brushed a strand of wayward hair away from her face and then kissed her forehead. "I know it is fine. Don't worry." But he couldn't hide the worry in his own voice. Luckily, their torture was short and Doc returned, wheeling the large machine into the room.  
  
"We don't usually use this for babies, but it should work just as well. Now let's take a peek and see that baby." Scarlett moved her shirt up again and more gel was squirted on her belly and Doc put the transducer up against her skin.   
  
The screen was dark for a moment, then filled with strange greyish images. Among the grey, there was a little flash in the middle of the screen. "What's that?" Duke asked, pointed to the flashing on the screen.  
  
"That, my friend, is your new son or daughter's heart beating." He angled the transducer around for a better look as Duke and Scarlett watched the screen with a mixture of awe and relief. He then moved around, taking some pictures with the machine and measuring the baby and pointing out different parts of the body to them. He paused and moved the transducer around a little more, then looked at the both of them. "Do you want to know if it is a boy or girl? It's a little early, but I happened to get a good peek."  
  
She looked over at Duke, smiling at the wonderment on his face. "I am curious, but I think Duke would like to be suprised."  
  
Duke broke away from his reverie while he watched the screen, "Huh?" He looked at Scarlett, then shrugged a little, "If you really want to know, it's ok." The tone of his voice clearly showed though that he didn't want to know.  
  
"No. We'll be suprised. It will be fun." She turned her head and kissed his hand that still held her own. "so everything looks ok?" Her eyes turned back to the screen, concern remaining in her tone.  
  
"Everything looks perfect. Don't worry." He lifted the transducer and gave Scarlett a towel to wipe off her belly, "You're a healthy woman, there's no reason to be concerned. This should be a walk in the park compared to some of the things you've had to deal with!" They all chuckled and Duke again helped Scarlett to sit up. "Come on back in a month, let me know if you have any questions or problems, but otherwise, just relax and enjoy it, that's an order!"  
  
Duke smirked a little, "Well, I can't be disobeying orders, sir. I'll try and relax."   
  
Doc smiled and clapped him on the back, "You're going to be a great dad Duke, trust me."  
  
Scarlett looked up at him with love shining in her eyes and gave him a gentle kiss, "He sure is."  
  
The overhead intercom suddenly clicked on and Flint's voice came through the speaker, "Doc, are Duke and Scarlett still there?"  
  
"Duke here. Scarlett's here too, what's up Flint?"   
  
"We've got a situation, it looks like Cobra may have made a move. We need you in the control room ASAP."   
  
"Roger that, we're on our way."  
  
The intercom clicked off and Scarlett grinned as she lowered herself from the table. "No rest for the wicked I guess." 


	17. Threats Coming

They reentered into the control room, smiles still on their faces from seeing the baby, in her hand, Scarlett carried a few pictures that doc took of the baby. Their smiles quickly melted though seeing the solemn expressions on the other faces in the room. They took their seats silently and waited for Hawk to begin.  
  
"Alright troops, we have a situation. Cobra has broken into the Centers for Disease Control." He watched the concern play out on their faces. "Yeah, the CDC is where they grow some of the worst bugs to try and find cures and treatments for them. Cobra has taken samples of some of the worst diseases out there." His face turned grim, "And in the raid, killed many of the scientists most able to deal with the threat."  
  
Scarlett frowned as she heard this, her mind putting together all the different reports she had been reading. There was quiet discussion as they tried to make plans on how to find the base and who was running the show for Cobra now. Suddenly it all clicked in her mind. "Oh no." Everyone turned to look at her. "Two months ago, the Dreadnoks robbed a tattoo parlor. Not for money, but for a device that the owner was working on, to improve the piercing process."   
  
Blank looks still greeted her even with that. She sighed and continued, "It's to do minimal skin damage and can deliver a rod or theoretically a pod under the skin." She watched as it began to dawn on those in the room. "They also have been buying and stealing a few different kinds of plastics and other coating materials."   
  
"You think they want to be able to make people into viral timebombs." Flint voice was grave as he massaged the bridge of his nose. Scarlett nodded, but Dusty broke in.  
  
"Do you really think they'd do that? I mean, they don't have the cure to to these dieases any more than we do, and they could be killing themselves at the same time. Viruses are too hard to control!"  
  
"That's the problem. They are. But Cobra isn't famous for being forward thinking. And they may be working on ways to protect themselves from the diseases. Or they have something else going on." Scarleltt frowned in frustration. "We have to find out more details about their plans. We need to get people inside to find out information. If Cobra fails in their intention, we may still lose. This could be huge."  
  
Hawk nodded in agreement, "If you're right, this could be worse than them getting their hands on nukes. Even if you are wrong about their plan, it doesn't change the fact that Cobra right now has its hands on some of the most deadly bugs in the world, and we've got to put a stop to them."  
  
As they discussed the details and plans for how to combat this new threat, Scarlett stole a glance over at Duke, still holding the vague photos from the ultrasound. He gave her a quick almost apologetic smile as he laid out the plan of action. She sighed, itching to be out there and doing something more proactive besides desk work. And the more disturbing thought, what kind of world was she bringing this child into? How could she have a baby in this kind of world where there were madmen with super bugs that could destroy the world in a blink of an eye. But she supposed that was why she and Duke were here, to protect the world for all babies as well as their own.  
  
The meeting ended without fanfare and everyone returned to their duty stations. Much of the wind had been taken out of the excitement of seeing the baby again, and Scarlett silently tucked the pictures away, there would be time for that later. It suddenly dawned on her though that most of the team didn't even know about the baby yet. It was difficult to just come out and say it, but she wanted to share it with them, she needed to. They were her family. An idea occurred to her and she smiled just slightly then threw herself back into her work.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night she relaxed in a chair, papers spread around her and an afghan over her legs. Duke was on duty, she was finishing making calls about the wedding. There was a sharp rap at the door and she sat up. "It's Jaye."   
  
Scarlett got up, opened the door and motioned her inside. "Have a seat, how are you doing? Flint on duty tonight too?" She grinned as she sat back down in her chair.  
  
"Yeah." She looked around the apartment as she sat down. "Nice quarters. Rank has its privileges." They both laughed at that, and Jaye picked up some of the papers. "Everything going smoothly?"  
  
"Yep. I'm keeping it fairly simple. I just want it to still be nice, even if it isn't in the Church." She smiled ruefully. "And with all the rest of what's going on, it's just hard emotionally. Hard to do this job while thinking about a child."  
  
Jaye nodded, looking at her seriously, "It is. What is going to happen after the baby comes?"  
  
Scarlett took a deep breath, "I'm going to retire for real I think. Concentrate on being a mom. I think." She rubbed her temple, "I don't know if I can do it either way. I can't imagine just being a mom, but I can't imagine leaving a baby while I run off around the world either."  
  
"Nothing is permanent. You'll know what the right thing to do is once you see the baby, and no matter what, you can change your mind later." Jaye gave a reassuring smile. "Speaking of the baby, how did the appointment go?"  
  
"Oh! Fantastic. A little scare at the beginning, but we got pictures. You want to see?" She reached over and handed the fuzzy photos to Jaye. "The baby looks like a little alien!" Her tone was a little awed.   
  
Jaye looked through the photos smiling wistfully. "These are fabulous. I'm jealous of you Shana, I really am. You are finally with the man of your dreams and you are having a wonderful little baby. Do you know whether it is a boy or a girl?"   
  
"No. We didn't want to know. Ok, well, I wanted to know. But Duke didn't, so we're not." She chuckled. "It was wonderful. We could see the baby moving and everything. But I can't feel it yet!" She rested her hand on her stomach, rubbing it lightly.  
  
"You can't tell at all yet either." Jaye sat back in the chair, "The team doesn't know yet either. When are you going to tell them?"  
  
"I've been toying with some ideas on how to break the news. It'll be soon. Thanks for helping to keep it quiet." She winked. "Pretty soon it is going to be you in this place, planning your wedding, having a baby."   
  
Jaye got a mischevious look on her face, "Well, I hope I'm married first. My parents have a hard enough time with the concept that I joined the military. No offense hon, but you have to admit, this isn't exactly how you planned."   
  
"None taken, and no...It's not. I fully admit that. I wouldn't have chosen this, but it seems to be working out ok." Scarlett stacked up the papers laying around. "What are your thoughts on the new Cobra activity?"  
  
A soft groan was the immediate answer. "Do we have to talk shop? I hate the idea of biological weapons." Jaye sighed, "I don't know how we're going to solve this. It seems like no matter what we do, we have the potential to loose a plague on the world. But if anyone can solve it, it's the Joe team." She spoke with a confidence she didn't really feel.  
  
"You're right. We'll fix this." She tried to match her friend's confidence. She looked up at the clock, wrinkling her nose lightly, "Still another 2 hours until the boys get back. You have a dress yet for the wedding?"  
  
"Indeed I do. Dash gives it his seal of approval." She watched Scarlett jump from subject to subject, not sure if it was nerves from the wedding, work or just the stress of pregnancy that was making her so flighty. "You should get to bed." She patted Scarlett's knee. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah. Alright." Shana sounded a little off as she stood and walked Jaye to the door.   
  
"You ok?" She stopped to face her, "You sound down."  
  
"I'm ok. Just hormonal and tired. You're right, I need to get to bed." The two embraced and after Jaye left, locked the door and undressed, getting into bed to wait for Duke to come home and to have his strong arms around her so she could not think about what would happen to their child if they failed. 


	18. Out of the Bag

Much thanks to my husband, who is always an inspiration to me in my writing. (and for not making fun of me too badly for writing fanfic!) Have to give him a shout out ;)  
  
See earlier for disclaiming.   
  
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The next morning Scarlett woke, panicking for a moment, forgetting where she was. A hand came to rest on her back lightly and she let out a yelp. She turned over to see Duke, already dressed, with his hands up in a motion of surrender and a concerned look on his face.  
  
"You alright? I didn't mean to scare you." He sat down on the bed, tracing his fingers across her collarbone.  
  
Her cheeks colored and she nodded, "Yeah, just some bad dreams. And I've been moving around so much, I wasn't sure where I was." She smiled at him happily, "But I'm sure glad I am where I am. Good morning love."  
  
Duke leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Morning Red, what do you want for breakfast?"   
  
Slipping out from underneath the blankets, she stood and stretched. "I don't care. Maybe I'll just grab some cereal at the Mess." She walked over to where he was sitting on the bed and perched on his lap. "You going to be able to eat with me?"  
  
"I think I can swing that." He kissed her shoulder, speaking in a low voice "But you should get up before I insist we both call in sick."   
  
"Now now. Plenty of time for that later. I have plans today!" She stood again and grinned as she went to the closet, pulling out her clothes.  
  
"Oh? What kind of plans?" He arched his brow curiously.  
  
"Suprise plans. You'll find out." Scarlett winked as she ducked into the bathroom and any more questions were lost as the shower turned on and she stepped inside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Scarlett started inputting the information she was collecting into the computer, getting more and more disturbed with every report. She was going to need to call a meeting on this once she had it organized. The potential was right here to end civilization as they knew it. They couldn't trust Cobra to be long sighted enough to realize they could kill themselves in the process.  
  
She glanced up at the clock to check the time, Duke caught her eye and gave her a questioning smirk, and she gave him an innocent look and he shook his head back at her and returned to his work. She did likewise, noting it wasn't quite time yet.   
  
A short while later, the com in the room buzzed and the voice of one of the MPs that guarded the gate sounded. "General Hawk sir," He sounded young and nervous, "There is a delivery truck here."  
  
"Pull it up on the screen," Hawk frowned as he watched a civilian getting back into a white van with the logo 'Avery's Specialty Presents' and driving off. "Alright, what's the problem soldier?"  
  
"Uh. He has a delivery for a Sgt. Vivian Leigh, but I've never had a civilian delivery for anyone on base before. Much less this kind of delivery. And there is no Vivian Leigh here, but he insisted on leaving it." The MP moved aside and showed the delivery, a group of balloons tied to a giant teddy bear.  
  
The group in the room watching on the screen chuckled. Obviously this MP was young or clueless as to the movies. Vivian Leigh was the actress who played Scarlet O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind.' Duke had a smirk on his face, figuring this was Scarlett's surprise, but the smirk quickly turned to concern when he saw her face, worry lining it. Hawk arched a brow in Scarlett's direction, "You know anything about this?"  
  
She shook her head mutely, eyes fixed on the bear and the balloons. They all bore baby-themed logos. She didn't think anyone else had picked up on it yet, but she was wrong. Duke saw it and barked out harshly, "Stay away from the bear!"  
  
Ship-Wreck guffawed at the command, "Worried the guy is going to break it?" There were other random snickers in the room. Lady Jaye gave him a sharp glance that shut him up quickly.   
  
Duke's tone was grim, "No, I'm afraid it will break him." He moved over to Scarlett and placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her.  
  
Finally she found her voice and covered her unease by focusing on the matter at hand. "Alright, we need to contain that bear and balloons safely. There could be viruses there, on the bear or even inside the balloons, so be careful not to pop any. There could also be explosives involved, so watch out for that too."  
  
Hawk nodded in agreement, dispatching a team to take care of the items safely, his eyes then resting back on her. "We've got a security leak. How did anyone know to send this?" There was deep concern in his voice and most of the room looked on with puzzlement. Hawk had also obviously noted the theme of the balloons.   
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Ship-Wreck demanded. "Everyone seems to know a hell of a lot more than I do!"  
  
All eyes were on Scarlett. She chuckled a little, "Well, I was going to tell you all today actually," she placed her hand over Duke's on her shoulder, "We're expecting a baby."  
  
Hoots and hollers came up as people celebrated the news, but Duke quieted them quickly, "But, as you can tell, this was not common knowledge. Someone knows not only that she's pregnant and back with the Joes, they know her full name and code name." Somber silence greeted that revalation.  
  
"Check out the hospital where she saw the doctor, Mainframe and Dusty. See if the records have been hacked at all and check on the background of the employees working in the areas where she was seen. We'll investigate other things as they come up, but right now our focus is on the matter at hand. Any questions?" Hawk looked around, saw none and then nodded his head, everyone turning back to their work.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At lunch Scarlett picked at her food as Jaye set a tray down beside her. "Mind some company? Where's Duke?"  
  
"Join me please. He's in a meeting with Hawk to talk about the situation." With one hand she smoothed her hair that was pulled into a ponytail. "It makes me damn nervous, but Hawk is right, we've got to focus on the bigger picture."  
  
Jaye nodded, "Yeah, but it's not easy to do when you are the one with a target painted on you. By the way, did they find anything out about the delivery?"  
  
Scarlett shuddered with a nod. "Yeah. There was a baby cobra inside the bear." Jaye looked shocked and concerned while Scarlett continued, "It was dead already, but it is very clear who was sending the message."  
  
"Hell. What a mess. Don't worry, you are out of the field and so I'm sure you are safe in here." Jaye gave a reassuring smile which Scarlett returned. "Let's focus on a better topic, are you ready for the wedding?"  
  
She brightened and nodded, "I think everything is set. I'm a little nervous, I mean, it's just such a big thing. I can't believe I'm getting married in such a short time."  
  
Laughter greeted her comment, "Well, it's true, you are and more than that, fairly soon, someone is going to be calling you mommy." Jaye had a tinge of jealousy in her voice and Scarlett arched a brow.  
  
"It will come for you too someday, don't worry."   
  
"I know." She sighed in exasperation. "I know! It just seems that someday will never come. I love Flint, but...Sometimes I'm not sure if we would survive outside the military. Or if he would want to continue."  
  
Scarlett was concerned now, "You don't really think that, do you? You know Flint would do anything for you and isn't just in it for the short haul." She thought of the plans that Flint had made with her, and was inwardly thankful that he was getting his ass in gear.  
  
"Well, no...yes....I don't know. I'm just being the bitter bridesmaid. Isn't it a law that you have to have one?" Jaye winked with a smile.  
  
"Hey, don't make me follow wedding law, or I'll have to get a really ugly dress for you to wear!" That sent both of them into gales of laughter, drawing the attention of others in the Mess, and they quieted. "Alright. I'm done, I've got to get back to work, I'll see you later." She took her tray back to the kitchen and exited the Mess quickly. She just wanted the time until her wedding to go as quickly as possible and the best way to ensure that was to throw herself into her work. 


	19. Backwards and Forwards

Shana O'Hara woke up at 4am, laying in the darkness of the room, taking slow deep breaths. She was back in her old suite that she shared with Lady Jaye, everything so familiar and yet so strange now that she had moved out. The day of her wedding had finally come; in a short time she would be Shana Hauser. She tried to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but it was no use. It was about as effective as trying to get a six year old child to go back to sleep on Christmas morning.   
  
She finally slipped out from under the sheets, flipping on the lights quietly in her room, trying to not wake Jaye up yet. She stepped out of the nightie she slept in and looked at herself naked in the mirror. She was definitely showing more, pretty soon it would be obvious whether she wanted it to be or not. She traced her fingers along her skin, wondering when she would feel the baby move. She had seen the baby on the ultrasound moving and flipping and she couldn't feel it at all.   
  
She grabbed a robe that was hanging on a hook, gliding across the floor silently to look at the few things that were remaining in the room. Anything to keep her mind busy and her stomach calm. Shana opened the closet, touching gently the dress there. It wasn't a fancy gown, this was going to just be a simple civil service. Conrad said that after the baby was born, he'd like to get married in the church, and give her a bigger affair instead of the simple event planned for today. It really didn't matter to her, marrying Duke was the only truly important thing.   
  
Going past the dress, her fingers brushed across a shoebox in the corner on the floor. She picked it up, sitting down on her bed, opening it. Inside were photos that she had stashed away to organize another day. She wasn't going to organize them today, but looking through them felt right.  
  
Her life in the Joes was laid out in these photographs. Most of them were terrible shots, taken of moving bodies with a camera or film unable to cope with the activity, but here and there were pictures that took her breath away. Duke giving his cocky smile to the camera, Cover Girl reading a novel, Shipwreck sharing a tender moment with Polly, feeding him a cracker. As she continued through the photos, tears started welling in her eyes. Roadblock tasting some chili, Steeler toasting the camera. Snake-Eyes, with Timber, with her; with life.   
  
The tears came quickly. She couldn't help it, and the fact that she was crying over another man on her wedding day did nothing but make the tears come faster. She sat there on her bed, feeling guilty for all he had given up for her, and she had never even been able to give him what he needed most from her, her whole heart.   
  
She didn't know how long she sat there crying over the old photos and old times, the next thing she knew was that Jaye had opened the door and was looking at her with concern, "You ok Shana?"  
  
Wiping her eyes, she nodded and motioned that Jaye could come in, "Just...remembering." She sighed, then looked up at Jaye, eyes red and concern lining her face, "I'm doing the right thing, right? If Snake-Eyes were here, would he understand?"  
  
Jaye frowned and rubbed her forehead as she sat on the bed next to Scarlett, putting an arm around her friend. "It's pretty early in the morning for such deep thoughts," They both chuckled a little at that, "Seriously though, do you love Duke?" She watched her friend's face carefully.  
  
Without hesitation, she replied, "I do. I really do. I can't imagine my life without him in it, but....it's just so quick....and they were friends..." She trailed off, looking at her hands folded in her lap.  
  
Jaye placed a hand over Scarlett's, smiling sadly, "Snake-Eyes loved you, I won't try and downplay that to make you feel better. He truly loved you, which means that he wanted you to be happy, no matter what. And if that meant you weren't with him, I really think that although he would be sad for himself, he would be happy for you."  
  
That just caused Scarlett's tears to recommence and her friend held her as she calmed, knowing that there wasn't anything more she could do to help and that this had likely been a long time coming, something she had likely hidden away for fear of hurting Duke.   
  
When the tears stopped again, Scarlett pulled away and gave Jaye a thankful smile, "I owe you so much Alison. Thank you for being here for me."   
  
"It's nothing you wouldn't do for me, Red. God knows you've helped Flint and I patch things up on more than one occasion!" She smiled gently then brushed Scarlett's hair away from her face. "Now, let's get you cleaned up, you're getting married today!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Conrad woke up to hear pounding on his door. He sat up, looked at the clock and swore under his breath. Getting up quickly, he threw on a pair of pants and a shirt, opening the door to see the small crowd that had gathered outside his door.  
  
"Hey! There he is! There's the man of the hour!" Flint grinned at Duke, with Shipwreck, Dusty, Wild Bill and Mainframe gathered around him.   
  
Duke gave a lopsided grin back to the men, "Good morning gentlemen, I assume there is a good reason that you have woken me up this early?" He put on a fairly convincing stern face.  
  
"Damn straight we do! You wouldn't go for a bachelor party, so we're going to take you out for breakfast and fun," Flint's eyes had a look of mischief to them.  
  
Duke regarded them warily, "Where? I do have plans this afternoon, I will personally disembowel each and every one of you if I am at all late." His eyes met each of them, communicating that for all the fun and games, he was deadly serious about how long he could be away.  
  
A nervous gulp came from Flint, then he put his happy-go-lucky look back on, "I promise, you'll have plenty of time. We're just going into town to get some breakfast and do the whole male bonding thing."  
  
"Alright, let's go then," Duke grumbled, then mumbled under his breath, "Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to regret this?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After showering, Scarlett felt much better. She felt at peace with her decision and Snake-Eyes, the decision to move on and hold onto the happiness she had found. She grabbed a pair of sweats and put them on, popping her head into Jaye's room. "Want to run and grab some food with me in the mess?"  
  
"Sure, sounds great." Jaye threw some clothes on too and they were almost out the door when the phone rang. Jaye picked it up, "Hello?" A small pause then an exasperated sigh and she hung up the phone. Scarlett looked at her questioningly. "Another wrong number. I swear, if they keep coming for much longer I'm going to have Mainframe track down the number and personally wring the neck of who is doing it."  
  
Scarlett chuckled as they walked out, "Patience weaing a little thing?"  
  
"It wouldn't be so bad if it was just the occasional call, but it sounds like sometimes they are using it for their fax machine. Hearing that blared in your ear is no fun."  
  
"Well, you actually might want to get it checked out if it keeps up. That would bug me too." Something about what Jaye said was bothering her in the back of her mind, but she couldn't put a finger on it and so dismissed it.  
  
They arrived to the Mess, finding it emptier than usual, but Cover Girl and Doc were sitting and eating together. Cover Girl beamed at Scarlett when she walked in, she and Doc humming 'Here Comes the Bride'.   
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes and grinned, giving a wave and picking up some food, sitting down at their table. "You guys ready for everything?"  
  
"I think that is a question we should be asking you! Are you scared? Excited? Where's Duke and Flint?" Cover Girl leaned forward eagerly.  
  
"Yes." She laughed as she answered both questions at once, then looked over to Jaye, "I'm not sure where the boys are, but I think she knows."  
  
"They are just taking your man out for breakfast and a little bit of fun before the wedding." She noted Scarlett's vaguely concerned look at that and continued, "Don't worry, he'll be there on time, sober and ready to go. I made Flint promise, with dire consequences if he failed me, like no touching me for a year!"   
  
Everyone burst into laughter at that, "well, that's a good way to motivate him to behave!" Doc still was chuckling a little. "I know Duke was very excited for this too, so I'm sure he won't let Flint lead him astray even if he tried."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The jeep was bouncing over the road with Duke being driven by Flint, Shipwreck in the back. Dusty, Mainframe and Wild Bill were in the jeep behind them. Duke held on as Flint took a corner quickly. "So where in hell are we going?"  
  
Shipwreck leaned up from the back with a lecherous grin on his face, "Yeah, where'd ya find a strip joint open this early?" He smirked at Duke's shocked expression.   
  
"Calm down Duke. We're not going to a strip joint. You're way too uptight for that!" Duke sat back in his seat, glowering as the other men laughed at him. "We're just going to get you some good grub and enjoy your last few hours of freedom.  
  
Duke eyed them and said sardonically, "Yeah, well, I'd trade the bondage of Scarlett than any freedom."  
  
"Hell yeah, I'd trade anything for some bondage with Scarlett too!" Lechery dripped from Shipwreck's words, until he received a sharp blow to his shoulder. "OW!" He rubbed his shoulder and looked at Duke balefully. "I was just kidding. Mostly." The last was mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Well watch it. You're talking about my wife, and I'm still your commanding officer. Most importantly, I can beat you into a bloody pulp." Flint just laughed watching the two of them as he pulled into a restaurant, or more aptly, a dive out in the middle of nowhere. Duke arched a brow and looked at Flint, "This is my special breakfast?"  
  
"Hey, trust me. It may not look like much, but it has the best food that I've ever tasted. Just don't tell Allie." He jumped down from the car, the other men following suit. He led them into the restaurant, Flint nodding to the dour looking waitress and pushing two tables together.  
  
A tired waitress with a cigarette hanging from her lips moved over to the group. "Coffee?" Nods came from everyone, and she shuffled back off.   
  
"Hey, where are the menus?" Dusty looked around the table and was about to flag down the waitress when he was stopped by Flint.  
  
"Doesn't work that way buddy. Nothing fancy like menus. Just basic food. Eggs, pancakes, waffles and omelettes. If it will clog your arteries, then it is probably served here." He smirked as the coffee was set down around the table. He raised his mug of coffee, look at his friends, "To Duke and Scarlett, may they drive each other crazy and spare the rest of us!" Raucous laughter broke out at that. "Seriously, you are two of my best friends, and I'm glad to see you both so happy and wish you a long, happy life together."  
  
"Here here!" Chorused the others and raised their mugs and toasted their commanding officer.  
  
"Thanks guys. I'm glad she finally came around and am really looking forward to today." The good natured ribbing about marriage in general and marriage to a specific irish redhead continued as the food was ordered and eaten.   
  
After the food had been devoured and the bill paid, Flint looked at Shipwreck then the others. "Take Shipwreck back for me, I have some official best man duties that I need to take care of with Duke." Everyone looked curiously at him, "Alone guys. Come on." They muttered as they loaded back into the jeep and drove away.   
  
"Alright Dash, what's up?" Duke looked at him curiously as they drove out to the woods.   
  
"Ehhh, old family tradition." He pulled the car to a stop, "Gotta try and talk you out of it and give you a little something to drink." He pulled out a flask and handed it to Duke who looked at him curiously as he took a swig and handed it back.  
  
"And why would you try and talk me out of it?"   
  
"Well, not really. But in my family, this is what we do. Someone pulls the groom off and makes sure this is really what he wants to do. So is it? I mean, anyone with eyes knows she's beautiful and talented, but are you sure?"   
  
Duke smiled fondly, "Yeah. I'm sure. The only doubt I've ever had was whether we would have ever found each other if Snake hadn't died. That feels pretty shitty, profiting from a friend's death." He reached for the flask again to take another drink.  
  
"Do you really think she would marry you if she wasn't really in love with you? I mean, she was with Snake for years, and I know they talked about it, but they never did anything about it."  
  
He nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. And it comes to point about whether I obsess over it or just let it go and enjoy being with her. I've got to just enjoy it. God knows few people are as lucky as we are to find some wonderful women."   
  
"Speaking of wonderful women, I lied to you, there was another reason I brought you out here. I wanted to talk to you about the surprise I had planned for mine today." Flint's eyes held a twinkle of excitement.  
  
Duke smirked and listened as they finished the last parts of the planning. 


	20. To Have and to Hold

Shana shifted nervously, smoothing the dress she was wearing again. It was a simple cream-colored slip dress with an empire waist with a lace overdress. Her hair was down around her shoulders, lightly curled, giving her a very feminine appearance. She was standing with Allie, a single white rose in her hand. She took slow deep breaths to calm herself and Allie came over and hugged her giving her a big smile.  
  
"This is all going to be perfect. Don't worry."   
  
"I know. I know. I just can't believe it is here." She smiled back at her friend. She saw her father peek his head out of a doorway and motion to them.   
  
There was no organ, no harps or violins, just Allie walking into the room followed by Shana, escorted by her father. The room wasn't really decorated, there were chairs for their guests and she saw everyone there, her brothers and their significant others, other Joes and a few other military personnel. And of course, Conrad, looking dashing in his dress uniform. She couldn't help it, she had a morbid thought that this would be an excellent military target, Cobra could take out most of the Joes in one fell swoop as they witnessed the vows. She actually chuckled at the thought, smothering the giggle in her hand, her dad looking over quickly to make sure she was ok.   
  
When he saw she was laughing, he smirked and leaned over to whisper to her, "Your mother got the giggles when she married me. You are so much like her it makes my heart hurt sometimes. I love you, Shana."  
  
The giggles stopped and tears welled up in her eyes as they walked over to Conrad. "Thank you Daddy, that means a lot to me."   
  
Without fanfare, he kissed her on the cheek and then gave her hand to Conrad. "You take care of my little girl, alright?"  
  
Conrad nodded solemnly, "I will sir." He took Shana's hand and looked at the tears in her eyes and gave her a questioning look to make sure she was still ok, she gave him an almost imperceptible nod back. They looked at the judge together, squeezing each others hands.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The ceremony was over quickly. There were quite a few moist eyes in the house as Shana and Conrad pledged their love and fidelity and exchanged simple gold rings. When the judge finally announced it was time to kiss the bride, Conrad did with gusto, bringing cheers to the guests sitting.  
  
As soon as they were pronounced man and wife, Conrad gave her another kiss and picked her up and swung her around gently once. He nuzzled her neck and whispered his love for her, which she returned blissfully.  
  
"Hey now. I know you two just got married, but I heard we were going have a little party before you two left for your room!" Shipwreck's voice broke into their tender moment, along with the laughter of others.   
  
Shana turned to look at the guests, still holding Conrad tightly. "Yes, nothing fancy mind you, but there's a little party at Romano's. Get yourselves into some civvies so you can enjoy yourself!" More laughter sounded and people started filtering out.   
  
She then turned to Conrad and gazed into his eyes lovingly, "This is the happiest day of my life. Thank you for everything. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us."  
  
He kissed her deeply, holding her tightly. "All I know, my love, is that it will be better since I'm with you. I never want to be without you." His hands slipped down her body, resting on her hips, then pulling them forward just slightly to touch her swollen stomach. "And I can't wait to meet our child. I'm just sorry we're not going to have a honeymoon."  
  
A chuckle from Shana, "A honeymoon doesn't matter. If we want, we can do a trip when things calm down. If they ever do." She smiled wryly, "I can honestly say my life is rarely boring with the Joes."  
  
He gave her one last kiss before they headed out the door to meet their guests at the restaurant, "My life could never be boring with you. I love you, Shana Hauser."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They had reserved a small room at a favorite family-owned italian restaurant, and by the time Conrad had changed into a suit for dinner and arrived, everyone was already sitting down and ordering drinks. When the happy couple entered, everyone stood and cheered. They kissed and everyone started settling into tables. Waiters bustled out to bring everyone their drinks and they could hear the sounds of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra coming through the speakers.   
  
The two of them circulated through the group, thanking everyone for coming and accepting congratulations. Clayton sincerely apologized for their lack of leave for a honeymoon, but they assured him they understood the current situation didn't leave time for vacations. Soon enough it was time to sit down for dinner and do the speeches and toasts.  
  
Dash stood up and cleared his throat, looking over the group, "Hello, thanks everyone for coming. In case you don't know me, I'm Dashiel Farborne and I've been Conrad's best friend for too long!" Chuckles came from the group at that, and Conrad put on an insulted look. "Really folks, I'm proud to be his friend, he's probably the best guy I've ever known, besides myself of course!" More chuckles and Allie rolled her eyes. Dash turned to look at Shana and Conrad, smiling, "Seriously, these two are both wonderful people and I am thrilled they finally found their way into each others' arms because I know they had been hiding in their hearts for too long. It gives me hope for this world when I see the two of you. Cheers!" Everyone raised their glasses and toasted merrily.  
  
As Dash sat down, Allie stood up, "I don't know if it is customary to have the bridesmaid do a toast too, but who cares, when have I ever bowed to convention?" She smirked and the audience was amused, "I will echo Dash's words that it took too long for it to happen, but I am very happy that it did and I'm glad I played a little part in it. Shana, you are my best friend and though I am sad to lose you as a roommate and I know our friendship will change with this, there is nothing that makes me happier than to see you happy. Conrad is your other half and I can feel in my heart that this was meant to be. So long life, health, wealth and children. Cheers!" Another drink from the guests as Shana dabbed at her eyes lightly.   
  
People started tapping their glasses with their spoons, signalling a desire to see a kiss and they happily obliged, then looked at each other for a moment, then Conrad stood up. "Well, I just wanted to thank you as well for coming, and for putting up with the smartasses that we call friends!" Dash and Allie laughed along with everyone at that. "I've loved Shana for a long time, longer than I even realized, and I'm the happiest man on earth now that she is my wife." He pulled Shana to her feet with a grin, "I am just lucky that when I finally got the nerve to put that diamond on her finger...." He trailed off, looking at her hand, which only held her wedding ring.   
  
He arched a brow at her and she seemed confused for a moment then her eyes opened wide, "Oh, sorry, I took it off for the wedding! Dash is keeping it." She gave a sheepishly apologetic grin to everyone, then Dash handed a jewelry box to Conrad who opened it, looking inside.  
  
"Well. It would seem we have a problem then." A barely audible murmur went through the room as Conrad said that. He looked at Dash and shook his head, seeming upset. "I think you better have something to say about this." He held the box out to Dash.   
  
All eyes were on him as he took the box, now open, and turned around, getting down on one knee. A gasp rippled through the audience and Conrad and Shana sat down happily, their part in the drama over, now it was all up to him. Allie seemed dumbfounded to see him kneeling there with the box.  
  
"Allison, I love you and as I watched our friends almost lose each other, find each other again and now are joined forever, I realized I was insanely jealous, jealous that he had beaten me to asking the woman he loved to be his wife. We both know that life is too short for regrets and I would regret it deeply if I didn't ask you this question: Allison, will you do me the great honor of being my wife?"   
  
The room was silent, you could have heard a pin dropped by a mouse. It seemed to drag on interminably, Dash kneeling in front of a frozen Allie, the whole room watching. Dash arched his eyebrows at her, hoping to ellicit a response, his face showing his worry that perhaps this wasn't a good idea, when suddenly the ice on her face broke and tears came from her eyes and she leaned down hug him while saying "Yes, of course I will!"  
  
Cheers erupted throughout the room, Shana and Conrad kissing, happy their little performance had a happy ending. Allie looked up at them, tears in her eyes, "You two! You helped him plan this! You didn't tell me anything!" She laughed along with Shana and they all hugged each other.  
  
Conrad's voice boomed through the room, "Well, if we didn't have enough to celebrate before, we certainly do now! Congratulations to Dash and Allie, I hope you are as happy on your wedding day as I am!" He gave Shana a sound kiss, while the others said 'Here here' and toasted.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They had their dinner and turned the music up in the room, dancing and celebrating with their friends. As the evening wore on, Shana stole Conrad away from Courtney on the dance floor, swaying in his arms gently, resting her head on his shoulder. "Hey good looking. You seem to have a thing for redheads."  
  
He kissed her neck and held her tighter, "Nope, just for one particular redhead. No one else can even hold a candle to her."  
  
"Oh really? You should introduce me to her sometime. I think I may have to convince her that you are mine and to keep away from you." She winked, nuzzling his neck.  
  
"You would like her. She's gorgeous. And perfect in every way. I'm thinking I may cut out of this party early and go meet her in a hotel room."  
  
Her voiced lowered to sultry tones, "Oh really, I was thinking of meeting my hot date too. What do you say we blow this joint?"   
  
A firm kiss was her answer, then he broke away a little and announced to the guests, "Please, stay as long as you'd like, but the little woman and I have an early morning tomorrow and need to get to bed." He managed to say it with a straight face, even though he winked at the end.   
  
They said their final good-byes, then left the restaurant, heading to the hotel. Shana giggled as she drove, as the pregnant one, she was automatically the designated driver. Conrad had had a couple of glasses of wine and was far from drunk, but definitely more flowery in his affections.  
  
"You are the most beautiful angel to ever visit earth. I could just live basking in your presence forever, never needing food or water. You are all that I ever need, Shana." His voice was low and smoldering and his fingers traced lines over her arms. She shivered a little in anticipation, pulling into the parking lot.   
  
"All I can say to that Sgt. Hauser is that you better move double-time to that room, because I don't want to wait any longer." She gave him a lascivious grin and they hurried to their room to celebrate their first night as man and wife.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back in Lady Jaye's room on base, her phone rang to the empty room. When her machine picked it up, nothing was heard but a computer's squeal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Somewhere, deep in a moutainside, a man grimaced as something was injected into his neck. A softly silibant voice whispered its approval. 


	21. Ghosts Calling

The morning dawned bright and clear and Scarlett stretched happily. It was Monday, two days after her wedding, and she had to go to work, but nothing could break through the wall of happiness surrounding her. Duke was already up, but there was a rose on the bed next to her. She stepped out of bed and found him in the bathroom shaving. She slipped her arms around his waist and kissed up his back and neck as he playfully swatted at her.  
  
"You're going to make me cut the hell out of myself," He chuckled, not really complaining.  
  
She stuck out her lower lip in a pout and kissed him once more then jumped in the shower to let him finish. She was done almost as soon as she started, because for all her playfulness, she was running late and she wanted to stop by Jaye's before reporting for duty.  
  
She stopped to kiss Duke more thoroughly though before getting dressed and he growled hungrily, "Not fair to do this before we have duty."  
  
She winked, "I promise, we'll pick it back up later tonight. I love you." One last kiss, then she went to go get dressed. Frustrated with her clothing options, she finally picked out a loose dress. She was changing enough that her old clothes weren't fitting quite right, but maternity clothes looked silly on her.   
  
She said goodbye to Duke with another kiss and then jogged to Jaye's suite. She knocked and then peeked her head in. "Is the engaged Lady here?" She giggled as she scanned the room.   
  
Jaye stepped out of the bathroom, shining with happiness. She came over and hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you for helping Flint plan all that."  
  
"Hey now, he did all the planning, I just said the lines." She smiled and hugged Jaye back.  
  
"Either way, thank you. How's married life treating you so far?"   
  
"Fabulously. I don't know how to explain it, but it is definitely better now."  
  
"Well, you looked beautiful." Jaye smiled, fixing the last few things in her room, preparing to leave for duty. Her eyes darkened when she saw the light on the answering machine flashing, "I swear, if that is that damn fax machine again, I will rip out the spine of whoever keeps calling." She punched the play button angrily.  
  
Electronic buzzing emitted and Jaye glared at the machine, muttering under her breath what she was planning to do for revenge. Meanwhile, Scarlett went pale as she heard it, the sounds resounding in her ears for far longer after the machine had been cut off. Jaye frowned and moved over to steady her with concern, helping Scarlett to a chair.  
  
"That's not a fax." Jaye looked are her quizzically and she continued. "It's T T Y." She let that sink in as Jaye sat down next to her.  
  
"That's the thing so deaf can use the phone, right?" Slowly the reason for her friend's upset was becoming clear.  
  
"Yes. And the mute." She stared at the phone, finally Jaye shook her shoulder lightly.   
  
"Come on, this has to be someone's sick idea of a joke. I'll find out who is doing it and kick some ass for you, ok?" Jaye was now fairly worried, not about the calls, but just about Scarlett's state of mind. She swore inwardly that she was going to kill whoever had set this up. Of all the poor tasting jokes in the world. "Why don't you go back to quarters and pull yourself together, I'll let the guys know you weren't feeling well, OK? And I'll get on Dial-Tone and Mainframe to try and figure out who is trying to mess with you."  
  
Scarlett nodded mutely then let herself be escorted back to her new home. She sat down on the couch breathing slowly, concentrating, as Jaye cast a worried look back at her and then left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Jaye walked along the corridor, she got more and more angry, this was completely out of line and she was searching her head for a way to make this a court martial offense. She stormed into the Mess Hall, glaring at everyone there, her voice loud and her anget showing. "If any of you here are behind this trick on Scarlett, I will personally rip you from limb to limb."   
  
Surprise and confusion greeted her, Flint immediately getting up to move over to her, speaking quietly, trying to calm her down a little, "Hon, what's wrong? What trick?"  
  
She scoured the crowd and only saw true surprise in their eyes and the looked at Flint. "Later. I need to find Mainframe and Dial-Tone." She paused, considering for a moment whether it would be better or worse to involve Duke at this point. She figured he'd find out anyway, better sooner than later. "And Duke. Someone is messing with Scarlett."   
  
Flint arched a brow, then ushered her out of the Mess, leaving behind a wake of highly confused Joes. When they got out to the hall, he looked around then spoke quietly, "What's going on?"  
  
"That fax machine that's been pranking my room? No fax machine. It's a device for the deaf to make phone calls." Realization dawned and he glared.  
  
"You're right. That crosses the line. Go find Dial-Tone, I'll talk to Duke." She nodded and they went their separate ways.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After Jaye had left the suite, Scarlett got up and went to the bedroom and pulled something out of her still unpacked boxed. It looked like an old fashioned modem. She tucked it under her arm and quickly went back to the suite she used to share with Jaye.  
  
She still had her passkey and stepped inside, hooking the TTY machine up to the phone line. Luck, for fair or foul, was with her and not long after she sat down to stare at the box, the phone rang.   
  
Scarlett picked up the handset, hearing the electric squeal on the other end, hooked it to the machine. She gasped as letters came onto the display, reading the phrase, then running to the bathroom to be sick.  
  
The phrase on the TTY, staring up at her unpitously was: "You didn't look under the mask, did you." 


	22. Shadows of the Past

=========================================================================================================  
  
Duke was humming happily to himself as he worked on some papers in his office when there was a sharp rap on the door. He looked up, trying to hide the sappy grin on his face. "Come."  
  
Flint strode in, looking perturbed. Duke shot him a questioning look and Flint didn't wait any time to speak, "Something's going on. Someone is definitely targetting Scarlett now." Duke's face hardened and he stood up, walking out the door with Flint, expecting him to explain on the move. "Jaye's been getting calls, she thought it was someone who mistook her number for a fax. It's a TYY though. Scarlett recognized it when she heard it this morning. She at your place, Jaye took her back there. She's pretty shaken up. Jaye is finding Mainframe and Dialtone to talk to them about this."  
  
Duke nodded grimly as they neared his suite. "If this is someone's idea of a joke, I will kill them. Quite possibly literally." He swiped his passcard and entered, calling softly, "Shana?" A quick scan showed she was not in the living room or kitchen. He ducked into the bedroom, concern and more than a touch of fear crossing his face. "She's not here."  
  
"Maybe she went back to Jaye's. She should still have a key." Duke gave him a curt nod and they jogged to Scarlett's old quarters, Flint pulling out a key and swiping it. Duke arched a brow that he had a card, and Flint shrugged sheepishly, entering cautiously.  
  
They heard water running in the bathroom and Duke moved quickly to the bathroom, Flint falling back, waiting for Jaye to either call or return with Dialtone or Mainframe. Duke knocked lightly then looked into the room, seeing her washing her face with cold water. "Are you alright?  
  
She nodded numbly, "Yeah. I just got sick. But I'm ok." She sounded anything but ok, but Duke didn't comment, allowing her to continue as he led her back into thr living room and into a chair. She took a few deep breaths, then spoke, "Snake Eyes is still alive."  
  
He held her gently, "We both saw his body, I think someone is trying to mess with you."  
  
She shook her head, "No, we saw a body. A masked body. There was no reason for us to think it wasn't him. It wasn't like he was examined by a coroner. All we know is that we saw a dead body."  
  
Duke was silent, he couldn't deny it, but something just struck him as not quite right.  
  
"Conrad, we have to find him. He's looking for me."   
  
"No! This could be a trap for all we know. It most likely is a trap! I'm not going to let you-"  
  
She cut him off angrily, "It's not a matter of "letting" me! I'm an adult, I'm not military and," She sighed, her tone going lower and more gentle. "Snakes is a teammate and you know our history. I would never forgive myself if I just ignored this and didn't see for myself."  
  
Duke tried not to be hurt or threatened by what she was saying, but it was difficult. He knew that Scarlett would go no matter what, and he did understand what she was saying.....mostly. "Alright. But I'm going with you. You may never forgive yourself if you don't look for him, but I would not be able to live with myself if anything happened to you while you were looking."  
  
She leaned over, her forehead on his for a moment, then kissed him. "I don't deserve you Conrad. Thank you." She knew it was difficult for him to agree to this, it was risky for not only his job, but he would always feel a bit threatened by Snake Eyes and her previous relationship.  
  
He ran his fingers through her hair, "I think it is the other way around, but no matter what, I love you Shana. I'll arrange things with Hawk."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Duke went immediately out to talk to Flint. He gave the gist of the conversation with Scarlett, and he could tell it made Flint about as happy as it made him. Duke shrugged at his friend, "You know as well as I do that she'll go. She's not under orders anymore and she'll just "happen" to be where things are happening. I'd rather have her safer with me."  
  
"Who else are you going to bring with you for a team?" Flint said, pensive.  
  
"Not sure yet. I still have to talk to Hawk and also the comm boys to figure out what they've been able to trace. I don't think Hawk will let me take you and Jaye for this. He'll want you to lead in case anything breaks with Cobra. I'm thinking Stalker and then maybe Beachhead. If we hadn't lost Mutt, he would have been good for tracking." His tone was somber.   
  
"Sounds good, let's go see what Mainframe and Dial-tone have for you. You going to tell him Scarlett is going along?"   
  
Duke nodded as they quickly walked through the halls. "I think I can smoothe things over so he won't freak. It's not like this is an official military action." They arrived in the control room where the men they were looking for were already working. "So, what do you have for me?"  
  
"Well Top, they used some fancy stuff to bypass our phone security. We're still trying to figure out exactly how they did it. Mainframe is working on that. But the call itself seems to have originated in Montana. They routed it through a few different switches, but it looks like I've found the source."  
  
"Good. You have an address?" Dial Tone handed him a slip of paper with the info written on it. "Great. Anything else you need to tell me before we investigate this? Anything that makes you think it is Cobra?"   
  
"No way to tell yet Top. I'll let you know if something starts stinking. Right now it's just generic hacking and security."  
  
"Alright. Buzz me or Flint if you have anything new." He and Flint moved to Hawk's office and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come," Hawk's voice carried easily through the heavy door.  
  
"Good afternoon Sir," Duke and Flint both saluted. Hawk just arched a brow and made a 'go on' gesture. "Yessir. I assume you have heard of the mysterious phone calls that Jaye has been getting and who we are now supposed to believe they are from." Another nod. "Well, Dial Tone thinks he's isolated a location that the calls are coming from."  
  
"And you want to go investigate it. Both of you?" He looked between the two men. "Snake Eyes or not, I can't have all the command running off. I know Jaye would expect to go with Flint," He rolled his eyes at that, "So, one of you can go. I would honestly prefer Flint. No offense Duke, but this is pretty personal for you."   
  
Duke's jaw tightend a bit. "Yes, it is, which is why I think I should go." He looked at Flint, "Excuse us for a moment Flint?" He nodded and exited the room. "Hawk, I need to do this."  
  
Hawk sighed and steepled his fingers. "I don't think this is really Snake Eyes. Why wouldn't he have just contacted all of us? This is just something intended to get to us and Scarlett in particular." He noted Duke's body language when he said her name and sighed again. "You're planning on bringing her? Duke, I don't think that's a good idea."  
  
"Neither to I honestly," he admitted with a chucke, "But she'll go anyway and I figure it would be safer if I was with her. There's no way to keep her from going unless we lock her up, and that's not even a guarantee. You know if any of us were in her position, we'd do the same."  
  
"I suppose. And you're right. Trying to keep her from going will just make it more dangerous for everyone. Have you decided on a team to go investigate?"  
  
"Stalker and maybe Beachhead. Haven't decided yet, do you have any suggestions?"   
  
Hawk furrowed his brow. "Yes. But I want you to make it clear that she is not required nor under orders to go." Duke seemed a little surprised at the mention of 'she'. "Cover Girl. Scarlett, as much as she may not want to admit it, is more vulnerable now. Cover Girl could potentially be used as a decoy."  
  
"Good thought. As far as anyone off this base will know, it will be a 3 man team. Scarlett, Stalker and I."  
  
"Agreed. Presuming Cover Girl is willing to decoy. When will you be leaving?"  
  
Duke looked at his watch, "I think I'll need the whole afternoon for planning and briefing. We'll plan on leaving at 05:00 tomorrow morning." He saluted to Hawk and headed straight to the motor pool to see Courtney.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Scarlett was busy preparing things to go. Flint had come by, given Jaye a look and told Shana that the call was coming from Montana. Jaye stayed as Flint went back on duty and waited for any further word. She watched as Scarlett packed. "Are you sure you should do this Shana?"  
  
"If it were Flint, would you stay behind?"   
  
Jaye looked at her seriously, "Do you feel the same about Snakes as I do about Flint? If you do, why did you marry Duke? It doesn't matter if he is alive or dead, if you had such strong feelings about Snakes, you should have post-poned the wedding! Did you see the look on Duke's face while you were talking to him?"  
  
Scarlett winced, accepting the barrage of criticism, "I don't know how to explain it. But no matter what, it feels wrong. If I don't go, it would be because of Duke. If it were you or Flint in that position, I would be going too." She didn't sound totally sure, questioning her motives because of Jaye's words.  
  
"Would you?" Jaye sensed the indecision and jumped on it. "Think of how Duke sees this. Your old flame, you jump on the rare possibility that he could be alive, risking your life, Duke's child's life, to run headlong into a trap! Damn it Shana....Think! Think about what you're doing!"  
  
Scarlett slumped down into a chair. "You're right. But I don't know how I can stay behind. Either way, I'm doing something wrong and hurting someone I care for deeply."   
  
"But there's only one man you promised to love and honor, forsaking all others." Jaye watched Scarlett digest those words silently.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A long pair of legs showed from under a jeep, loud music playing from the stereo. Duke walked over and turned the music off. There was a cry of pain as the person under the car presumably startled and bumped their head. Sliding out quicking was the beautiful tank jockey, Courtney, aka Cover Girl.  
  
Her face was dirty and she had an angry bump appearing on her forehead where she had bumped it. "Hey Duke. What's up?"  
  
"Hey Cover Girl. I'm leaving on a mission tomorrow morning. Wanted to know if you were interested in joining." He paused before continuing.  
  
"Of course, sign me up." She beamed, she couldn't help it, she had the hots for her CO for a long time, even gone so far as dying her hair red as she saw how Duke felt about redheads. And if there was going to be a mission with him, she was going to be with him, especially since Scarlett was out of the field.  
  
Duke held up a hand, shaking his head a little. "Don't agree too quickly. This is something different. There has been a message to suggest Snake Eyes is alive." Cover Girl's eyes widened in shock as Duke went on. "Most likely this is a trick and trying to lead us into a trap."   
  
Courtney's mind was whirling. This had huge implications. Snakes was her friend, and he and Scarlett were involved and as much as she felt guilty about the thought, he could potentially come between Scarlett and Duke. Then maybe everyone could be happy. She tried to keep this all off her face, nodding to Duke's words as he continued speaking, his tone gentle. He "The target has been Scarlett, and..."  
  
"..and you want a decoy." She gave a wry smile, her emulation of Scarlett's appearance makes her good for something at least.  
  
Duke nodded again. "It is likely a trap. But, we can't take the chance that it isn't." He felt pretty shitty about asking her to do this, she had feelings for him he was pretty certain, and he felt like he was taking advantage of that in this situation, asking her to pretend to be Scarlett. "Hawk wanted me to make sure you knew that this was in no way an order or requirement. But since Scarlett will be in the field, all things considered -"  
  
"Wait," Cover Girl interrupted, "Scarlett is going too?" She looked at Duke incredulously, "Are you crazy? I thought she wasn't going into the field, she's not even military anymore technically!"  
  
Duke gritted his teeth, "I know. She is not going as an official member of the team. She's just going. And since she is going, she might as well get the protection of our team."   
  
Cover Girl watched the tenseness in Duke's jaw and wished she could help it to go away, biting her lip for a moment then giving a resigned sigh. "Alright, I'm in. When do we leave?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Duke returned to his suite, feeling exhausted after all the meetings and thinking about the trip coming up. He looked around the living room, seeing in deserted, moved to the bedroom. He saw his wife, sprawled out on the bed and he couldn't help but smile. He crawled on the bed behind her, lightly kissing her neck and slipping his arms around her.   
  
She mumbled, still mostly asleep, "Mmmm. I love you Conrad." Tension he didn't realize he had slipped away when the fear that she wouldn't say his name vanished.  
  
"I love you too Shana." He kissed her cheek and held her close, regretting his doubt for her love. She rolled over sleepily, opening her eyes to look at him.  
  
"When are you leaving for Montana?" Her tone was quiet and she put a slight emphasis on 'you', to draw his attention to the singular form of the word.   
  
He arched his brow as he brushed a stray hair from her face, "What's going on? You change your mind?"  
  
She let out a sigh, watching him, "I don't want to hurt you Conrad, and I realized that I did earlier. Snakes may have been my past, but you are my present and my future."   
  
He rested his forehead on her cheek for a moment, just breathing in the wonderful scent of her skin, "I know how much this means to you. I don't want to leave you behind, but I don't want you in the line of fire either. Can you live with staying behind?" He watched her carefully, "This is a mess no matter how you look at it, and I just don't want you to feel forced into doing something you'll regret."   
  
"I'm sure. Go without me. I'll work here on more stuff. I have to get used to the idea that at least for a little bit, while not a china doll, I'm not a Timex." She grinned and he returned it, "The baby has to come first and I have to remember that." There was a tinge of regret in her voice, but only a slight bit, no more than a woman who is sad because she can't ride the rollercoaster while pregnant. "So who's going?"  
  
"Me, you and Stalker." His eyes twinkled at her confusion. "Cover Girl will be playing the part of Scarlett for this mission. Literally. I'll need one of your old uniforms. She's our decoy. We're assuming you are the target and if you were going, we wanted someone out there who could stand a little more heat."   
  
Scarlett's brow furrowed a bit. Cover Girl had always set off her internal radar as someone who was interested in Duke, but she chided herself internally, that she couldn't let her petty jealosy interfere with work. She looked into Duke's eyes and knew that no matter what Courtney did or said, he loved her and that was the most important thing. "Allright then, you better get packing. But first, give me a proper goodbye..." She pulled him in closer to make sure there was no chance of him getting confused out in the field. 


	23. Virus

yadda yadda yadda, fair use, me poor, not challenging copyright.   
  
Don't ya love the holidays when people have more time to write? :D Take this as your cue to review ;)  
  
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Before the sun was up, the team assembled and Scarlett drew in a breath seeing Cover Girl in her uniform. The resemblance was really uncanny. She eyed her critically, Cover Girl was really prettier than she was, a little longer in the leg and definitely a prettier face. She glanced at Duke nervously but was relieved to find his attention on her. She smiled at him and he gave her a kiss.  
  
Cover Girl looked over at Scarlett, who was wearing lounging clothes, "Aren't you going to get ready? We're supposed to be leaving."  
  
"I'm not going. We decided it would be safer if I stayed behind and continued to work on things here. You guys be careful. Are you sure you still want Cover Girl to go as me?" Her eyes went from Courtney to Duke.   
  
He nodded, "I think so. The target is you, so I don't want anyone to know you are still at the Pit. I want everyone, even most of the Joes, to think that you are on this mission with me. Hawk, Jaye, Flint, Doc, Dialtone and Mainframe know where you are really, which will be holed up inside our quarters. Got it?"   
  
Scarlett rolled her eyes, "I don't think that is necessary, but fine. I'll try and be good."   
  
Stalker snorted, "Like that could happen!" Scarlett shot him an evil glare and he grinned. "I just call 'em like I see them!"  
  
"Alright, let's stop chatting and get moving." Duke chuckled and gave Scarlett a passionate kiss before leaving. "Be good, I love you. Take care of our little spud," he whispered in her ear while running a hand up her body, smiling as he felt her pleased shiver.  
  
With that, he moved away to get onto the transport and Scarlett smiled, waving to him as they left. She turned away finally and quickly returned to her quarters. She didn't much like the idea of being holed up, but if she was going to stay behind, she might as well keep Duke happy by hiding. She rang Hawk, let him know the team was off and arranged for Jaye to bring the paperwork she was working on before to her room, along with breakfast.  
  
--------------------  
  
Duke was lost in his own thoughts as they neared their destination. Cover Girl watched him, trying to guess what he was thinking about. Stalker nudged her, smirking as he gestured towards Duke, "Trying to get into character?"  
  
She rolled her eyes to cover the fact she was a little flustered, "No, just staring into space," There was no way he could prove she was staring at Duke.  
  
"Yeah, right. You keep telling yourself that." His smirk grew with her tension.   
  
Duke finally looked up at the two of them and raised a brow, "Something wrong?" Cover Girl blushed slightly and shook her head and Stalker just laughed. "Well, then get ready to roll. We're here. Scarlett: stay here," Duke was careful in case they were being observed, "I want to keep you out of the thick of things. Stalker and I will check it out." He nodded to Stalker and they exited the car, leaving their faux Scarlett behind.  
  
"What are the chances that this is him, Top?" Stalker spoke in a hushed tone as they approached a cabin.  
  
"Personally, I think low. He was a friend and despite everything else, I wouldn't write him off easily." Stalker nodded and they drew their weapons, Duke knockig first, then when there was no answer, kicking in the door.  
  
A quick scan around the apartment showed that it was fairly bare, a cot, a phone with a laptop set up with it, the bare minimums of life. Stalker shook his head when it was obvious the cabin was empty, and they stepped out, motioning to Cover Girl that they were going to make a circuit around the cabin.   
  
They moved around the house, keeping their backs to the house for protection, weapons still drawn, alert for problems. Suddenly, there was a scream from the car, he looked that way and then Duke saw a flash of a white uniform. 'Storm Shadow!' he thought as the ninja was upon him. Other Cobra agents rushed Stalker.  
  
The fight between him and Storm Shadow didn't take as long as Duke would have wanted; he was not a match of the Cobra ninja in hand to hand skills. His legs were swept from under him and he fell hard on the ground. Quicker than a blink, Storm Shadow produced a silver gun and pressed it to the back of Duke's neck and he felt a sharp burning pain.  
  
And then, just as suddenly as they arrived, they were gone. Duke got up quickly, helping Stalker up as well, then running back to the jeep to help Cover Girl. They arrived back and she was just as stunned as they were, the blitzkrieg attack had really not harmed her, just startled her.   
  
Duke's brow furrowed unhappily, "Let's get out of here. We know for sure now who is behind this, and I don't know why they left, but I don't want to be here when they come back with friends." His teammates heartily agreed, and the jeep sped off down the bumpy trail.   
  
As they were leaving, Cover Girl reached up and touched the back of Duke's neck, "What's this?" She fingered the small line of blood going down his neck.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Scarlett was munching on a pretzel rod when there was a knock on the door. She silently got up and looked out the peephole and saw Jaye standing there, looking anxious. Scarlett opened the door, concern on her face motioning the other woman in. "What's going on?"  
  
"Situation. Bad one. Dead body washed up, and it's finally come down the wires to us. Damn it, it shouldn't have taken so long!" Jaye's voice rose in frustration.  
  
"Who? What's going on?" She felt a flutter of fear in her stomach, "Not one of ours, is it?"  
  
"No, not that, but not much better. Docs don't know exactly what he died from, but it was quick, painful and biological. We're having a briefing, you need to come."  
  
Scarlett nodded and put her shoes on, following Jaye out and through the hallways to the briefing room. She nodded to everyone, some who were surprised to see her around the Pit, but that could wait until later.  
  
Hawk cleared his throat and began, "Alright team, what we have is a body that has a lot of unusual incisions on it, who died of something that the doctors think is related to a spinal menengitis, but different from anything they've seen before. They did x-rays and an MRI on the body, trying to see what all was done, without having to touch the body too much. With the MRI, they found some capsules in his body. There were two in his arm and we still don't know what is in them, when they were exposed to air, they disintegrated."  
  
Doc interjected, "Why aren't they doing a regular autopsy?"  
  
"That's the problem. This is some kind of nasty shit and it apparently keeps working after the person is dead. It weakens the tissue of the host. They can't do an autopsy without totally destroying the body. We're going to submerge it to try and recover some capsules, but that has to be at the end of investigations, because it will likely destroy anything that is left of the body."  
  
"Cobra just hit the CDC a little while ago, they couldn't have cooked up something this nasty so fast, could they?" Jaye seemed confused and looked towards Doc.  
  
"I wouldn't have thought so, but if they had something that was mostly ready beforehand, it might have taken very little time to perfect it. Bottom line, we have to find out what is in those capsules. If this is some sort of virus and contagious, this world as we know it could be over."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Storm Shadow bowed to the man in the mask, "Mission completed successfully, sir." 


	24. A Run in the Park

General disclaimers apply. I threw in a little gift for Slayne ;) Happy New Year everyone!  
  
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Duke turned his head a little. "On my neck? Storm Shadow pistol whipped me or something on the back of my neck. Hurt like a bitch."   
  
Stalker frowned, "Better get it checked out when we get back Top, head injuries are nothing to play with."  
  
Duke rolled his eyes, "The concern is touching, really. I'll make sure to check in with the docs when we're back."  
  
"So is this is? Returning to the Pit now?" Courtney was a little annoyed, this was a hell of a lot of travel for a short bit of action.   
  
"Sorry it wasn't very fun. Really all we had to do was confirm this was not Snakes. We need more information now, especially that we know for sure this is a Cobra plot. It looks like they were able to still tell you weren't Scarlett and aborted. That worries me, because that means this is very personal." His forehead furrowed with worry.   
  
Cover Girl put a reassuring hand on his arm, "She's a tough girl, she'll be ok. Don't forget, I bet she could wipe the floor with most people, pregnant or not." The elicited a chuckle from her teammates.   
  
"At least we don't have to deal with a crappy motel tonight, we'll get to return to our own beds. Thank God for modern transportation." Duke smirked, then his wrist-com signaled an incoming message, "Duke here."  
  
Hawk's voice sounded tinny and far-away through the com, "Duke, there is a situation here, abort mission and return to base."  
  
The three man team suddenly looked worried and Duke tried to pull his stomach out of his shoes to utter the next sentance, "Everyone alright at home?" His eyes closed for a moment and said a silent prayer that she was ok. He suddenly worried that this was a distraction to leave her unprotected. Leaving her at the Pit wasn't exactly unprotected, but it sure as hell felt that way.  
  
"Yes. No injuries here, any problems on your side?"   
  
Duke's relief was clearly visible, then he cleared his throat, "Actually sir, we were just returning home. They sniffed through the ruse and aborted as soon as they discovered that Cover Girl was a decoy. No major injuries, but it is all the proof we need that this is just a Cobra plot."  
  
"Affirmative. We'll discuss the rest when you return to the Pit. Hawk out."  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Scarlett was pissed. She hated being trapped in the Pit. She was a field agent and it killed her to be out of the field, especially when something big was going down. And it definitely was going down. To make matters worse, she didn't get to talk to Duke during his check-in. He'd be home late that night, but she wanted to know the details on what happened now. She knew that they found out that it wasn't Snakes. Probably. Storm Shadow was his sword brother so it was conceivable, but she had to be honest with herself, she knew Snakes was dead, no matter how much she wished he was still alive.   
  
And this damn virus, it was driving her nuts. She didn't have a strong medical background so she just had to wait while the experts worked on the body and gave her the processed information. She had always held a special fear for biological weapons because they were so undiscriminating. A disease doesn't care whether you are enemy, friend, right or wrong, it just is. To add to the danger, they were impossible to truly control.   
  
So instead of doing something useful, she paced. She was waiting to find out if the disease was related to any others that they knew about already, if they could figure out how it was transmitted, whether there was any hope for a cure. She kept thinking though that the body had been in a river, it could have contaminated water or wildlife. She said a small prayer that it had not.   
  
Finally Flint looked up at her with an exasperated tone, "Stop Scarlett. You're driving me nuts with your heels click clacking across the floor. It's not going to make anything get found out any faster."  
  
She sighed and nodded, "I know. I just have so much nervous energy and I need to get rid of it somehow."   
  
All of a sudden, Beach Head perked up, "Did I hear someone needs PT?"  
  
Flint rolled his eyes while Scarlett laughed, "I suppose I do. Want to go for a jog with me since I'm not locked up in quarters anymore?"  
  
"Hell yeah. Get changed into your PT gear and I'll meet you out front in 10."   
  
With another roll of his eyes, Flint looked at Scarlett, giving her a mock-scolding, "Now, since Duke isn't here, I'll have to stand in for him, -"  
  
"Yeah, can I stand in for Duke too?" Shipwreck walked into the room at of course just the wrong moment and gave a lascivious look to Scarlett.  
  
"Sure can Shipwreck, whenever you are ready to die." Scarlett said sweetly to him, batting her eyelashes.  
  
Flint cleared his throat, "As I was saying, don't overdo it Scarlett. He'll kick my ass if anything happens to you on my watch."  
  
She snorted, "The truth comes out. It's not that he worries about me, he's just watching out for his own ass. Typical." She grinned and gave Flint a wink.  
  
"Not true. I watch Jaye's ass too." Flint gave a huge grin as the rest of the room broke into raucous laughter.   
  
"You boys be good. Don't make me send Jaye up here to babysit you all." She smiled and gave a wave to them all to change into her PT clothing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When she got out there, Beach Head was being remarkably civil, he had not only brought a towel for her to sit on, he had brought three bottles of water. She took this all in curiously, then sat down on the towel to start stretching out before the run.  
  
"Thanks for bringing this stuff Beach." She pondered bugging him about it now, but decided against it, hoping he'd be more pliable while running.   
  
"No problem Red, how much are you in for today?"   
  
She shrugged, "A couple miles I think. I don't want to do anything too strenuous, but I have got to get the nerves out of my legs. Right now it feels like I could go on a 10 mile run without being tired." She grinned, "Not an invitation though to send me on one quite that long."  
  
He nodded, "Alright. There's a decent path that's around the length you want." He waited the rest of the time while she stretched in silence, and when she was done, he gave her a hand up.   
  
They began running, not talking at first, each finding their rhythm and how it related to the other person. Once they finally reached a nice plateau in exertion where they could comfortably talk, Scarlett began to dig, "You seem different lately."   
  
He shrugged, "A lot of things are different."   
  
"Like....?"  
  
"Well, you are no longer technically military or in the field. Lots of things."  
  
Her tone was annoyed as she answered him, "After all we've been through together, you are celebrating the fact that I've been removed from the field?"  
  
"You know very well it isn't like that and isn't that easy." He sounded gruff and defensive. "Stop taking everything so personally."  
  
Scarlett bit her tongue, not wanting to get into another argument about females in the military and in forward areas. "So that's why you've been nicer to me lately?"  
  
"Uh." Scarlett would have sworn if he wasn't wearing that damn balaclava, the man was blushing. Beach Head, blushing! Duke was going to be so sorry he missed this! "I don't know about that." He coughed and finally tried to change the subject, "So are you and Cover Girl close?"  
  
She eyed him suspiciously as he tried to change the subject, but was he really? "Not really, we're just very different. Two different worlds and all that. And we're just from really different worlds."   
  
He mulled that over in his head and then nodded, "Yeah. People from different worlds don't usually get along well." He seemed almost, was that disappointment she heard in his voice? She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him. He stopped when he saw she had, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"You've got the hots for Cover Girl!" She exclaimed loudly.  
  
"I do not and you better keep your voice down Red. The whole Post can hear you." His voice was low and threatening as he took at step towards her.  
  
She tried to supress the giggles she had welling inside of her and was mostly successful and lowered her voice considerably, "I'll be quiet, but I'm not wrong about you! How long has this been going on?"  
  
"Nothing is going on!" He growled at her.  
  
"Fine then, how long has nothing been going on?" A smirk touched the corners of her mouth. He just glared at her and then began running again. She ran to catch up with him, but the bastard kept upping the pace so she had to use her oxygen for running and there was nothing left to chit-chat with.   
  
Finally they reached the end of the trail and she grabbed a water bottle, taking deep gulps. Beach Head looked at her and smirked, his tone superior, "You didn't have to keep up if you couldn't handle it, Red. Let me know next time your legs or mouth feel like they need to run. I'll be sure to cure you of that, got it?" The last came out as almost a threat and again she had to restrain herself from laughing at how upset he was.   
  
She couldn't help a small grin though, "Thanks for running with me. We'll have to do it another time. Maybe Cover Girl can run with us too." She winked and walked off quickly before he could formulate a response.  
  
Now she just wanted to go back to quarters and shower and get ready for Duke coming home. 


	25. Consequences

Thought I had forgotten about this one, eh? Nahhh. Just struck with inspiration for the other one. But still working on this one when the mood hits :D   
  
read earlier disclaimers please :D  
  
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They arrived back on base at almost 4 in the morning. They were all exhausted and wanting to crash. Duke told Cover Girl and Stalker to grab a few hours of sleep and they'd have a debriefing at 0600. He then went straight to his quarters. He had work to do still, but he'd been up for nearly 24 hours and he wanted to see his wife.   
  
He opened the door and smiled just a little, happy to be back at home. He didn't see Scarlett immediately, so he went to peek into the bedroom. Curled up tightly, under a throw lay Scarlett. Looking at her positioning and the dishes in the kitchen, he guessed Jaye and Flint had come over to help her pass the time and then she had fallen asleep and they carried her back there.   
  
He crawled onto the bed and put his arms around her, smiling back at her when she opened her eyes sleepily. "You're home." She scooted closer to him and the relief was audible in her voice.   
  
He put his arms around her and kissed her gently, "Sorry I'm back so late. I'm just here for a quick nap, we still haven't debriefed and then I have to run by Doc."  
  
Her eyes snapped open and suddenly she was wide awake, "Doc? What's wrong? Were you hurt?" She looked him over carefully.  
  
He rolled his eyes, "Not really. I got pistol whipped or something. Cover Girl and Stalker are anal about me having it checked."   
  
"Well, they should be. Head injuries are nothing to mess around with!"  
  
He grabbed a pillow and tagged her lightly with it. "You sound just like them. I'll get it checked out. Please, can't we have just a quick nap first?"  
  
She shook her head, "No, you shouldn't sleep if you have a concussion and you know that! Get up. We're going to head down now."   
  
Duke groaned miserably, "It isn't a big deal." But dutifully he followed her out of the bedroom, casting one fornlorn look back to the bed and its comfortable pillows.  
  
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Doc checked him out, flashing lights in his eyes and then examining the back of his head. He frowned a little, examining it gently. "I'd like you to get a CAT scan. There's a small mass, and it could be a blood clot."  
  
Duke nodded, squeezing Scarlett's hand. She leaned down to whisper to him, "Aren't you glad I made you come down?" He didn't answer, grumbling softly. He got changed into a flimsy gown, glaring at Scarlett's giggles seeing him in there.   
  
"Shove it Red." He gave her another glare before being taken to another part of the sickbay, Scarlett staying behind to wait.   
  
She flipped through a book while waiting impatiently. She was just thankful they had the equipment here so they didn't have to go to a "real" hospital and wait around there forever. It seemed like forever before anyone came out to see her. A nurse finally came out and told her that it would be a little while longer while they finished reading the readouts.  
  
"Can go back and keep him company then?" The nurse quickly shook her head and retreated before Scarlett could ask more questions. Scarlett was now alarmed because she noticed fear in the eyes of the nurse. Not exactly a confidence inspiring thing.   
  
Now she paced around the area, dreaming up all sorts of terrible things that could be happening. Each minute seemed interminable. Finally Doc came out, his expression grave. She rushed over to him. "What's going on? What's wrong?"  
  
"Scarlett, I need you to go back to your quarters and get things for Duke. Clothing, books to read, anything he would like."  
  
"No! I'm not doing anything until you tell me what is going on." She was terrified now and torn between getting really angry or crying.   
  
"The MRI showed something unusual. He needs to be kept in isolation until we can figure out how to deal with it."  
  
"I'm sorry, that's not good enough. I'm his wife and if necessary I'll pull out our powers of attorney. I have a right to know." Now she was just pissed. He was tiptoeing around what was going on and that just made her more upset.  
  
"We can't be sure, but it looks like Duke may have a capsule in his neck, like the ones we found in the body. I'm sorry Scarlett." Doc seemed uncomfortable telling her this because she knew what was involved with those capsules and what the risk was. "Once we are sure about transmission of the virus, we can let him out of isolation, but until then, we have to protect not only the base but the rest of the world."  
  
Scarlett felt a little light headed, like the oxygen content had just been sucked out of the room. "Take it out. Just take the damn thing out!"  
  
"You know we haven't been able to get one out yet without it rupturing. And the closeness to his spine complicates it even more. We'll keep working, harder than ever. We'll find a way to get it out. I promise."  
  
She was still breathing heavily as she digested this. "Alright. I ... uh... I guess....I better get him some things. Can I see him at least?"  
  
"Through a viewing wall, but you can't go in there. If that capsule were to rupture, it could kill you too. We have to contain this virus."  
  
She nodded numbly and walked out of sickbay, heading back to their apartment, running into a few people, literally, as she headed back. She took their epithets without even so much as a dirty look in return. She passed by Jaye who may have said something to her but she didn't even hear her. She arrived back at the apartment and packed a small bag for him, working on autopilot. She felt a strange sense of being disconnected from all this. Except when she closed her eyes, and visions of the destroyed corpse they found came to her.   
  
She had the few things she knew he would want right away and was about ready to leave when there was a knock on the door. Scarlett opened it, letting Jaye in. Her best friend was a bit concerned because of the wild, vacant look in Scarlett's eyes. The news about Duke wasn't common knowledge yet, so all she knew was that the mission to find Snakes was a bust. "You ok?" Jaye eyed her cautiously.  
  
Scarlett barked out a laugh, "Oh, of course. I mean, for God's sake, it's not like the pregnancy isn't doing enough to my brain and emotions. Let's take advantage of the unstable hormones and see how much we can screw with her mind!" She laughed again as Jaye just looked at her, a little bewildered. "No really, I'm peachy keen. I just don't know what the fuck I'm doing in this screwed up life! What the hell kind of person has a child in situations like this?"  
  
"Situations like what?" Jaye asked cautiously, she was a tad unnerved by Scarlett's ranting. This wasn't her usual flare of anger, and she was starting to worry for her friend's sanity.   
  
"Haven't you heard yet? I'm sure it will be all over base soon. Duke's got one of those nifty little plague capsules in his neck. My fault by the way because I was sure that my ex-boyfriend was still alive and sent my husband to go check. Isn't that a healthy family dynamic! Dysfunctional even before the baby is born, is this a new record? Not that it will be dysfunctional for long, because it's not like I'm going to stay married to his father for much longer. I'd love to, but that lovely plague he's carrying will probably interfere with those plans. So single motherhood. What in the hell have I done to my life? This isn't what I wanted for myself." The words just kept spilling from her mouth, tripping over occasionally, lightning fast with barely a break for a breath.  
  
Jaye was floored. She was able to figure out what was going on now, but that didn't make it much easier to deal with. She reached a hand out touch Scarlett's shoulder, "Hey, come on now, l-"  
  
Scarlett shrugged the hand away angrily, her eyes blazing, "Don't give me platitudes Jaye. I know you probably mean well, but I don't want to hear it. mmmKay?"  
  
Now Jaye's anger flared, "Calm the hell down Scarlett! I'm not the enemy here. I know you are upset, but you need to stop." Her voice slowed and got firmer towards the end. "Take 3 deep breaths." Scarlett did so. "Do you have a grip on yourself now?" She nodded a little. "Good. Because even though that thickheaded husband of yours won't show it, he's going to be scared too. He doesn't need to worry about you too."   
  
Another deep breath in and out and Scarlett nodded, "I know. I know! I don't know what came over me." She rubbed her forehead lightly.  
  
Jaye smirked, "It's like you are PMSing, except about a thousand times worse!" She grinned and ducked from the light swat Scarlett sent her way. "Ok. You're going to go back there and...."  
  
"Request some valium." Bland stare from Jaye, "Alright. I'm going to stay calm. Make sure I get all notifications on the progress on the disease the moment they happen. Happy?" Scarlett looked much more with it and sane finally.  
  
"Yes. Much better. I didn't want to have to slap you, but I would have if you hadn't calmed down. Or I really would have asked Doc about some Xanax or Valium." She gave Scarlett a hug, "A little bit of faith goes a long way. He'll be ok."  
  
"I'm holding you to that Allie," Scarlett deadpanned as she grabbed the bags and headed back to sickbay. 


	26. The Ice Breaks

Hey ma, I'm disclaiming!  
  
You know the drill, no infringements intended, fair use, blah blah.  
  
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"And again it gives me the creeps and My hatred of helplessness, it grows and Every time I fear disaster, It makes my heart beat faster." -Bell, Book & Candle, Imagine  
  
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When she returned to sickbay, she was quickly escorted to another section of the base. She took a breath and then walked into view of the room she was told held Duke. She smiled gently, moving over to the area with an intercom so they could speak. "Hey sweetie. I'm sorry." She choked back the tears and placed her hand against the glass. Her words seemed small and petty when she was faced with the reality of what she had set into motion.   
  
"Don't be. This is not your fault," He spoke as if he could read her mind, and after so much time together as friends, he nearly could. He could recognize all the subtle cues her body gave, usually even when she was trying to hide them. "I'm ok, and we'll get this figured out, alright?" He knew she wanted to be in his arms and he wanted to make it a reality as much as she did.  
  
"Stop. You're not allowed to make me feel better. It's my job to make you feel better ok? Please?" She fairly pleaded with him, knowing that having to stay strong for him was the only thing that would keep her from buckling under the pressure of the situation. If he gave her the opportunity to collapse and lean on him, she was afraid she would take it and it was important that she didn't. For him and for herself, she needed to keep on, working towards the goals of getting him home and taking care of the baby. "I brought you some stuff. Not too much, but I am hoping that this will be a short vacation." She couldn't help but laugh suddenly, "I must say, I do feel like I'm visiting in prison though!" She laughed along with him, watching his strong blue eyes, feeling a pain deep within her that she couldn't feel his arms around her and be sure that everything would be ok.   
  
She leaned her forehead against the divider and Duke did likewise. "I love you, ok? No matter what, you need to make sure you keep that in your head." His usually confident demeanor was showing a few cracks with the crisis. They stayed silently like that for several long moments, seeming to rest their heads against each other. Suddenly Duke stood ramrod straight again and reassembled his mask of strength.   
  
Scarlett straightened more slowly, turning to see what caused the change. It was a little strange, seeing Cover Girl dressed as her. And why the hell was she still dressed like that? Instead of snapping at the other woman though, Scarlett just nodded to her, "What do you need?"  
  
"Just checking in on Duke. I just got done with Doc, wanted to make sure Duke was hanging in there," Cover Girl was a little tentative in her speech, able to tell from Scarlett's posture that she was on a hair-trigger. "I'm doing fine, besides being pissed off that I'm in here. Thanks." His voice was gruff and displeased. The three stood there for a moment, looking at each other.  
  
Finally Scarlett broke the quiet, "I'm heading out. I'll go see what other info I can find out. I'll have my phone on me Duke, if you need me."  
  
"No, stay," Cover Girl and Duke spoke simultaneously, though with contrasting tones.   
  
"No. You stay, chat. I can't. I can't stand not doing something." Scarlett's voice had a more gentle edge to it. "I'll be back later." She nodded to them both, feeling too awkward for some reason to say 'I love you' to Duke, married and yet they've moved so fast, little things like that seem bizarre. She exited, heading for the common room to boot up her laptop. Cover Girl looked back at Duke, then the door that Scarlett just used and frowned and mumbled, "Excuse me," and walked out to follow Scarlett.  
  
Duke watched the faux-Scarlett follow the original, then went back to his makeshift bunk and tried sorting through the paperwork that was delivered, anything to get his mind off of this.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Cover Girl finally caught up to Scarlett in the common room, walking in and seeing Scarlett with new eyes suddenly. She was tired looking, ragged, her eyes were red like she had possibly been crying, sitting while staring intently at the computer screen on her lap. Her body was beginning to show more signs of pregnancy, a disappearing waistline, mild swelling in her hands, face and feet. Pregnant women may glow, but they also can look damn rough after a long night. Courtney felt a pang of guilt, seeing her sitting there. Usually Scarlett hid her emotions fairly well from people who were not close friends, and Courtney rarely got to see anything but the confident, well put together martial arts expert that somehow usually made her feel inadequate. But suddenly, watching her work, she could acutely feel the other's pain and what she'd been going through. It made her stomach flip-flop unhappily, wondering how she would be dealing with the same situation. Finally, she spoke, drawing Scarlett's attention back to her. "Hey, I'm sorry."  
  
Shana shook her head, "Nah, it's ok. I needed to get out of there. I was getting too upset." She didn't really look up from the screen at all.   
  
"Not just about that," Courtney felt a little awkward, "About everything. Things have been rough between us for a long time." Now Scarlett looked up, drawing her attention fully away from the article on the screen. "Duke kind of came between us."  
  
Scarlett wasn't sure whether to be relieved that this was out in the open, or pissed off that she was blaming Duke for the conflict, deciding to err on the forgiving side. "I'm sorry about that." What else could she say? She wasn't sorry she was the one that ended up with Duke. Her thoughts though flitted back to her earlier run, and an idea began to slowly coalesce in her sleep-fogged brain.  
  
Courtney shrugged, feeling uncomfortable now that it was out in the open, "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault." She sat down in the chair across from Scarlett, feeling the urge suddenly to change her clothes and let her hair grow out back to its natural blonde. "Duke just...He appreciated me."  
  
Shana couldn't help but laugh, "Every guy at the Pit 'appreciates' you. Do you look in the mirror in the morning?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure. That's what I hate. Duke is the only one who seems to care that there is a brain inside the body." Her tone was angry. She couldn't help how she looked and she got attention from men yes, but it was all sexual, none went beyond that.   
  
A twinkling of the original redhead's eyes, "Not the only one." Much of her anger and frustration with Cover Girl was beginning to dissapate. She knew what it was like to be only considered a body, nothing more.   
  
"What do you mean?" Courtney's head cocked to the side with curiosity.  
  
A vague shrug, "I just have reason to believe that there is someone else who is not only interested in your body." Shana deliberately looked down at her nails to check for any cracks or imperfections.  
  
A long pause, then Cover Girl said with exasperation, "Well, are you going to tell me?" She looked at Scarlett expectantly.  
  
"Nope, sorry, you don't have clearance for that information." Both women chuckled and the ice that had existed between them began to break up with the laughter. "Don't worry, you'll find out eventually."  
  
Cover Girl huffed. She wanted to know now. Her interest was piqued and she began to run through the possible names of teammates who could be seriously interested in her. Shipwreck, no way; all he wanted was a piece of ass, and he admitted it. Hawk, an intriguing thought; she wouldn't lie, she always was attracted to men with power, but she doubted it was him. She flipped through other names, then sighed in frustration. "Well, it better not be too long. I hate waiting." 


	27. Plotting

Ok. Short chapter sorry, I've got some things I want to hammer out with this, but I wanted to get a new section published to kind of get back into the groove of the story. General disclaimers apply! Reviews are always welcome.  
  
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"Wise men say only fools rush in" Elvis Presley - "Can't Help Falling in Love"  
  
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Scarlett threw a clipboard across her office, her frustration reaching its peak. As it clattered to the floor, she leaned back in her chair. She wasn't getting anywhere. Any time she thought she figured out a way to deal with that thing in Duke's neck, she ran into a problem. They couldn't just excise it out, it was too close to his spine, there would be no way to be sure they wouldn't paralyze him. She even considered putting Duke in a tank of water, since contact with air seemed to activate the capsule, but there was the problem of visibility and it being so damn close to his spine. Plus, just any wrong movements with a scalpel, and it would be a death sentance, for Duke and possibly countless others.  
  
It had been four long days dealing with him in quarrantine. She knew it was just as hard for him, if not harder. He didn't like having to hang back and have things brought to him and not be able to be out in the thick of things. She was a bit worried about him, because he wasn't used to this inability to work and isolation from others. She knew people were visiting him, but that wasn't the same as being able to feel another human's skin. There were studies that showed that orphans who didn't get physical contact would die. Human contact wasn't a luxury but a necessity and even though she wasn't worried about his body suffering, she was concerned about his mind. He was a "man of action", as was often stated and to be caged like he was, she knew it had to be hard on him.   
  
A familiar balaclava-clad face ducked into her office, asking gruffly, "Everything ok? I heard a crash."  
  
She nodded with a sigh, forgetting that she shared a wall with Beach Head, so her mini-tantrum was overheard. "Fine. Just had to kill an aggressive clipboard," she gave him a smirk.  
  
He nodded, turning to leave, then turning back just a little, "You hanging in ok, Red?"   
  
She shrugged and stood up. "Well as can be expected. You talk to Cover Girl recently?" Deftly, she changed the subject and enjoyed watching the man squirm uncomfortably.  
  
"No. Why would I?" He found a very interesting paper clip on her desk to study.  
  
"Hmm. Too bad. I have." She patted him on the shoulder and walked past him, out of the small office, "See ya later Beachie, I'm heading down to see Duke." She grinned to herself, knowing that she had floored him, and knowing that he wouldn't beg her for information, which was good since she really didn't have any. Hopefully though, it would pique his interest and get them talking.  
  
She quickly wound her way to where Duke's "suite" was, smiling to herself as he sat at the small desk in there, filling out paperwork, "No rest for the wicked."   
  
He looked up, smiling gratefully, "You know I never wanted to be this caught up on my paperwork. Any news?" He stood up, moving closer to her, of course though, the glass remained a barrier between them, a clear wall that stopped him from reaching out and just touching her hair, feeling her warmth and the light scent of her perfume.  
  
She looked down guiltily, "I'm sorry. Nothing on my end at least."   
  
"Damn it. How long is this going to take? For all we know, this is sugar water in my neck and they are just doing it as a scare tactic!" His voice was raised in frustration.  
  
She gave him a measured look, "Do you want to bet the unit's life on that?" He growled unintelligibly and stalked towards the back of his room. "It won't be too much longer, I can feel it."   
  
He turned back and nodded, both of them sitting down in chairs near each other on either side of the glass. She reassured him as best she could, then tried to take his mind off things, discussing more mundane matters like naming the baby and the personal lives of their friends. In the back of her head though, Scarlett began to formulate a plan.   
  
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Shana slipped quietly through the halls later that night. She really didn't want to be seen; easier to not have to deal with questions. She arrived in the gym and took her crossbow, a quiver of arrows and a few other handy weapons she was proficient with. She had a sidearm already of course, but she didn't like to be limited to firearms.   
  
She turned around and almost dropped the items she had in her arms when she saw Stalker standing at the doorway. His voice was low and measured, "What are you doing Scarlett?"  
  
"Nothing much, couldn't sleep and so I thought I would maybe go outside and do some weapons work to calm me down." The lies came easily to her as she smiled and shifted the weapons bag to her other hand.  
  
He stared at her, wearing simple blue striped men's style pajama bottoms and a white tshirt that showed her changing figure. "Anything I can do to help? Set up targets?" Something rubbed him the wrong way about this, but the truth was, this wasn't that unusual for most Joe team members. He was coming in the middle of the night to work out himself.  
  
"Nah. It's been a few months since I used these so I want to give them a good cleaning and tuning first. My poor babies have been neglected." She winked, patting the bag.  
  
"Alright. Let me know if you need anything. I know it's hard on Top being in iso." A tight nod came from her as a response and he continued, "Just have patience, we'll get everything worked out."  
  
A tired smile was issued, "Well, as a favor, could you make it sooner rather than later?" They both laughed and he patter her on the back as she slipped out. She quickly retreated to her quarters, stowing the equipment by the couch, it really did need a good cleaning and fine tuning. While others might use the crossbow and the more unusual weapons she preferred, most didn't on a regular basis and they didn't take as good of care of them.   
  
Now wasn't the time though. She had other "groceries" to pick up. She made her way silently through to different areas of the base, picking up the items she thought she might need. Stealing, misappropriating, whatever you want to call it, she knew this was the only way to get it done somehow.   
  
Returning to her quarters, she began arranging things and making final decisions for her mission. It was a mission, unofficial and secret, but that didn't change the definition. She sat back on her heels, thinking about who she could conceivably rope into doing this with her, she really didn't want to have to steal a Sky Striker. 


	28. Are There Cliffs in Montana?

"The time to rise has been engaged" R.E.M. - The Finest Worksong  
  
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Scarlett popped her head into the control room, "Hey Dialtone, can you do me a favor?"   
  
Dialtone looked up from the equipment he was tinkering with, "Sure thing Red, whatchoo need?"  
  
"The phone number and address those calls were coming from in Montana?" She smiled easily, hoping he wouldn't delve too deeply into why she was asking for them.  
  
"Sure, I thought you already had that info though," he frowned a little, pulling the information up on another screen and copying it down for her.   
  
She waved her hand dismissively, "I know it's floating around, but instead of trying to hunt everyone down about it, I thought I'd go to the source. I want to run some checks on the address and number, see if I can pull up any useful information for the team to go on.  
  
Dialtone nodded, handing her the slip of paper, "Good luck!"  
  
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Scarlett took a deep breath, picking up the receiver and dialing the number she held in lightly shaking hands.   
  
The phone rang and rang and rang. She began to doubt her assessment of the situation when the phone was picked up and she could hear silence on the other end with vague sounds of nature in the background.   
  
She kept her voice steady as she switched to Japanese, hopefully cutting down on any eavesdroppers, though she knew it could translated if someone was really interested. Hopefully no one would be. She spoke slowly into the phone, awaiting an acknowledgement.  
  
There was a long pause and she thought there would be no response, there was a soft agreement, "Hai."   
  
She closed her eyes and hung up the phone, moving onto the next phase of her plan.  
  
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She knocked on the door and gave a half smile to the woman who opened the door, "Can I come in?"  
  
Cover Girl arched a delicate brow and nodded, moving aside to allow Scarlett into the room, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She and Scarlett had had a bit of a breakthrough, but they still weren't close.  
  
"I need a favor. I need some help on a mission and you are the only person that I think can do it with me," Scarlett sat down on a chair and looked at Courtney earnestly.  
  
Cover Girl's curiosity was piqued, "Oh really? What do you have in mind? And since when were you organizing missions?"  
  
A sly smile came to Scarlett's face, "Well, let's just say it's not an official mission, ok?" Cover Girl nodded, a grin infecting her face too. "I'm tired of sitting around and waiting for something to happen with Duke. I know you care about him too and are just as frustrated as I am." Courtney nodded, watching the other woman intently as she spoke, "You said Storm Shadow was the one who did it, right?"  
  
A slight frown flitted across Cover Girl's face, "Yesss..." she dragged the sibilance out until she realized she was starting to sound like Cobra Commander and quickly cut herself off. "You're crazy." Realization dawned what Scarlett was intending to do. "Snake Eyes isn't around to protect you anymore!"  
  
"I don't need Snakes to protect me!" Anger flared in Scarlett's tone. "I am fairly capable on my own and I'm not going into this blind. I have a lot of years interaction going into this. I know the history, I know where the weaknesses lie."  
  
Cover Girl remained unconvinced, "But what if you're wrong..."  
  
"Well, I'm fairly certain he wouldn't kill me. His sense of honor wouldn't like that since I'm pregnant," Scarlett grinned, enjoying the evil glare she was receiving from Cover Girl.  
  
"Great, so what is my failsafe protection?"   
  
"I don't know. You expect me to come up with everything in the plan?" Scarlett laughed as Courtney took a swipe at her. "Seriously, I need you as backup and cover. I know him, but I could be wrong, and I don't want to screw it up by myself. Much more fun to screw up in a group."  
  
Now Courtney eyed her suspiciously, "Why are you coming to me? Why not Lady Jaye? I'm not into being cannon fodder."  
  
Shana sighed, "Jaye would tell Flint. It would happen. And then Flint is part of the command, and worse, he's Duke's best friend and will tell him or try and stop us. I don't want anyone to worry. I'll put some security measures in place, but as far as anyone else knows, we're going to a spa."   
  
"Well, I guess there is just one more question I have then..."   
  
Scarlett looked at her expectantly, "And that would be?"  
  
Cover Girl grinned impishly, "Do I get to be Thelma or Louise?"  
  
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Shana rapped her fingernails gently on the Plexiglas of Conrad's cell, giving him a smile as he looked up from his paperwork to her. "I've decided that this is truly just hell. Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork," he smiled at his wife, taking in her changing form, even in the couple of days he had been in here. He wanted to be out there with her and experiencing it all with her. That's what he had signed on for, not watching her through glass.  
  
She gave him an optimistic smile, "But just think, when you are out, you will have great emotional blackmail to make Beach and Flint do it all. I miss you." She leaned against the glass, "You know I'd do anything to get you out of there, right?"  
  
He nodded, leaning against the glass next to her, "I do." He turned to look at her more easily, "How's the spud doing?" He traced his hand down the glass to where it rested over her stomach with just a teasing few inches separating them.  
  
"Baking. I don't think I've felt any movement yet. I'm sure soon enough the baby will be using my ribs for a trapeze." She smiled wistfully at him, hating to leave the base, but reminding herself that it was for the best. "I'm going to be sparse for a couple of days." She watched for his reaction and saw the concern spring immediately.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. Courtney is going to take me on a little sabbatical. Something about shopping, spa and mud baths?" She wrinkled her nose, trying to skirt around the truth as much as possible.  
  
He laughed and it made her smile to hear that, "Well, that is good. I'm glad you two are getting along better. May I ask what brought this bonding about?"  
  
Shana smiled at him, "Well, there's this guy that we're both pretty fond of. Makes it easy to set aside our differences for him," she winked at him.  
  
Duke gave a mock growl, "Where's that Beach Head? I'm going to kill him for seducing my woman!" Scarlett smiled and he gave her one in return, "Be safe, ok?" She nodded and he sighed, "I just want to hold you again." He leaned against the glass again as she did likewise.  
  
"Soon. I promise." 


	29. Travelling Music

Sorry for all the cliffhangers. It seems to be the only way I know how to write :D I hope people are still enjoying the story (novella?!), I still am!  
  
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"I was taught to fight, taught to win, I never thought I could fail" Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up  
  
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"Where are you two going?" Beach Head's voice was gruff as he watched the matching redheads heading for the garage.  
  
"Spa." Both women spoke in unison and then laughed.   
  
Beach arched a brow menacingly, "Since when have the two of you been buddies?"  
  
Cover Girl glanced at Scarlett, "Mmmm. Three, four days now?" She gave him a sweet smile. "I have the leave saved up."  
  
Now his dark eyes fixed on Scarlett almost accusingly, knowing that coincided roughly to their run. She gave him an innocent look. "She's trying to get me out and relax a bit so I can refocus on finding some solutions to this mess."   
  
He still regarded her suspiciously, "So Hawk and Duke know of your little plans? Where's Jaye? Aren't you two friends?"   
  
Scarlett put on an annoyed tone, "We told them we were going to the spa for a couple days. They both thought it was a good idea. And this is a redhead only trip. We're trying to work out some old issues." She smiled reassuringly to let him know she wasn't going to totally blow his cover. She was fairly pleased that she didn't really have to lie, she did tell them about going to the spa and they did think it was a good idea.  
  
He harrumphed unhappily, looking for something else to pick on and spotted their luggage, "Alright then, go, but do you really need so many bags? This a short trip, right?"   
  
Cover Girl handled this one and said haughtily, "A lady must always be prepared for whatever comes up. And we're not asking you to carry them, so stuff it." She grinned and winked.  
  
Beach Head growled a warning and Scarlett grabbed Cover Girl's arm and began dragging her away from him, not sure if they would end up fighting or kissing by the end. She swore mentally about how they were like little kids, picking on their sweetheart. Cute, but highly annoying when in a hurry.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Clouds passed by the windows of the plane so slowly, in contrast to the speed they were supposedly moving through the air. Scarlett watched it pass, wondering idly how the earth's rotation played into flight times. Cover Girl was napping next to her so she was left only with her thoughts and doubts about this plan. Since Cover Girl's involvement, several aspects of the plan were altered that actually made it easier for her to accomplish by herself, but Cover Girl now wanted to be a part of the plan. Scarlett appreciated the help, but she felt a great deal of responsibility for the other woman, feeling like she was using Cover Girl's feelings for Duke to manipulate her into going along with the plan.   
  
Cover Girl snored in her sleep and Scarlett couldn't help but laugh at that; Courtney and Wayne really would make a perfect couple. For all of his obsession with being stealthy, that man could snore loud enough to shake the shingles. She had heard him through the walls of her office when he had stayed too late and dozed off in his own. She nudged Courtney before another loud snore could come, as the captain announced the coming landing.   
  
"Wha?" Cover Girl rubbed her eyes lightly. "We here already?"  
  
"Yep, ready to rock and roll?"   
  
"Ready as I'll ever be. Are you?"   
  
Scarlett gave her a half smile, "No choice but to be. This has to end."  
  
Cover Girl nodded and not another word was said between the two women all through disembarking, renting a car and making the trip out to the cabin in the woods. As they approached, Courtney thankfully slowed the speed of the car; Shana was starting to feel a tad carsick with the reckless way the other drove.   
  
"Do you see anything?" Courtney peered around in the orange light of the afternoon.   
  
"No. Let's just hope it stays that way." Shana got out of the car and looked around furtively, setting down a very small mirror on one side of the road, and then carefully aligning a receiver on the other side. She got back into the car, putting a small bud in her ear. "Nothing too fancy, but should be enough. It won't pick up Storm Shadow, but if he decides to invite some friends along, it will help."   
  
Courtney nodded and they continued on the path to the cabin, parking the car and getting out. They both had their sidearms drawn and ready and their luggage, far from containing normal girlish fare, was slung over their backs. There was no sign of Cobra or the ninja, so they went into the cabin cautiously.  
  
"Wow. Ever feel like you stepping into a 'Matrix' set?" Courtney quipped, observing the mostly empty cabin aside from a hard-wired phone.  
  
"Very bizarre. Cover the windows with these," Shana tossed her a couple of black cloths and a staple gun while she spoke, "I'm going to make sure there are no other hidden entrances." She began a thorough checking over of the space.  
  
Courtney complied, quickly securing the windows, then double-checking the security of their foxhole. When that was finished, they set up a few things that would work as failsafes and traps. Nothing too fancy, but enough for a small sense of security. They were taking a risk by being here anyway, nothing could change that.  
  
Scarlett finally took out her cell phone and called the number that she was given for this place. The rings filled the small cabin and echoed through the cell phone. She waited, having a suspicion about how the phone was set up here. After nearly 20 rings, there was an answer. Silence greeted her, but she could hear the light sounds of someone breathing.   
  
"We are here."   
  
"I know." His voice held a darkness that was such a contrast to his typical 'ninja attire'; good guys were not always the ones in white. Shana waited, her breathing coming faster as the anticipation grew. The door creaked open and standing backlit against the now setting sun was a familiar figure holding a phone and she could hear his voice through the extension and through the air both, "So am I." 


	30. Rest in Peace

Wow! The big 3 0. Whoda thunk this would keep going? :D Thanks to all the faithful readers who are coming along on this ride with me and understanding about any bumps in the way. I hope it continues to be as entertaining and fun for you as it is for me. Looky though at all these quick updates. I'm on a roll!  
  
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"What a show,  
  
Dysfunctional excess  
  
Is all it took for my success?  
  
The greater pain that they endure  
  
The more you know the show will score  
  
It's showtime" Peter Gabriel - "Barry Williams Show"  
  
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The three people, Scarlett, Cover Girl and Storm Shadow stood in relative silence for several minutes, the only sounds being that of the crickets, cicadas and other forest insects giving their nightly concerts. Finally Storm Shadow crossed his arms, glaring at Scarlett, "I believe you made this meeting? What do you want?"  
  
"What did you put in Duke's neck?" Scarlett sounded much more calm than she felt. But she knew that dealing with Storm Shadow was all about appearances and she did not want to appear weak and give him any more of an advantage than he already had.  
  
He gave a short laugh, "Did you honestly think I was going to just come here and tell you to save the fearless leader of the Joes and your little lapdog?"  
  
Scarlett gritted her teeth but continued, "This is more than just about personal vendettas Tommy. Do you even know what you put in there or did you just follow orders?"   
  
Silence reigned then he spoke, "I was told it was a transmitter."   
  
"Well, it's not, and it's the fucking plague Tommy. Cobra Commander has gone off the deep end and he's going to kill us all." She bored holes into him with her eyes.  
  
"He wouldn't be so reckless. He wouldn't use something like that he had no control over."  
  
"Oh really? Because we know that Cobra Commander is always so forward thinking -"  
  
Tommy cut her off, "Woman, you don't even know what forward thinking is, you are so busy saluting!"  
  
She held her hands up in surrender at that, "Take a step back and let's not argue about this. The fact is, we found a body with a bunch of the things that you put into Duke's neck and it had been infected with a very scary virus. We don't know how it is transferred yet, but I can say that it is the ugliest death I've ever seen and I've seen a lot."  
  
He stared at her for a second, then spoke quickly, "Call your headquarters. Make sure he is in a soundproof room. Now."   
  
Scarlett glanced over at Cover Girl who was just standing in the background with her arms crossed. She seemed just as confused as Scarlett. Scarlett looked back at Storm Shadow, then grabbed her cell phone and hit a memory button. "Scarlett here...I need to speak to Hawk now." She watched Storm Shadow as she spoke, "Hawk, Scarlett. Get Duke into a soundproof room...I don't care about the other quarantine factors. Just do it please Sir, I have intelligence that suggests this is vitally important...I can't go into it now, Sir, please just trust me...I'll contact you again soon." She hung up before he could do much in the way of responding. She arched a brow to Storm Shadow, indicating that since the call was made, he should explain now.  
  
"It can be activated by a particular frequency. I thought it was a self-destruct mechanism so in case the transmitter was discovered, it could be destroyed before being traced."  
  
"Well, it does self-destruct," Cover Girl said dryly. Storm Shadow glared at her.  
  
"Thank you Tommy. I know Snake Eyes would thank you too." Scarlett ignored the side conversation.  
  
"Would he now, Shana?" He arched his brow and looked at her so long and hard, much to her chagrin, she looked away first. She couldn't rid herself of her guilt of going on with her life after Snakes' death.  
  
She couldn't respond to the question, so she redirected the conversation back to the topic at hand. "How can we get it out?"   
  
He considered his answer, but when it came down to it, murdering the entire world and committing suicide by a plague was not something he could stand by and allow to happen. "I think they created an airlock and use dry ice for working with the capsules. That's all I know."   
  
Relief washed over Scarlett in several waves, she thought she was going to be sick, the feeling was so strong. "Is there anything else? Do you know how it is transmitted?"  
  
A quick shake of his head, "I'm not sure." He hesitated then continued, "There are five other people who have pods in them. I do not know their names; I just know they were other tests of the 'transmitter'. If you are serious about stopping this, you must find them. All were done in the Emergency Room at Mercy General, in Boston the night before Duke was implanted."  
  
Scarlett took notes on the information she was given. "I owe you Tommy. Thank you."  
  
"You do not. Consider that for Snake Eyes. It should give him peace that I did the 'right' thing." With that, the ninja turned his back on her and walked out of the cabin.   
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
"I'm going to kill her. Pure and simple." Duke paced around his new room impatiently. "Spa my ass. I should have known better. What in the hell is she doing? What in the hell is she thinking?"  
  
Flint watched his friend stalk around the room, wondering if it would be better to have him still in iso before he totally blows his top. "I'm willing to bet she was thinking that she loved you and she wanted you to be safe."   
  
"But she's not supposed to be in the field! Much less arranging meetings with Storm Shadow," Duke's voice was filled with impotent anger, he was angry that she would have put herself and the baby in so much danger, especially without telling him. After they received Scarlett's call to put him in a soundproof room, they started examining all the phone logs and found her call to Storm Shadow. It didn't take a genius to figure out how she got her information once they knew that.  
  
"Getting angry isn't going to help anything and she is a big girl who can handle herself, remember. She has a history with Storm Shadow. Maybe she knows something we don't."   
  
"Then she should have told me instead of sneaking around with Cover Girl."  
  
Flint smirked at Duke, "Yeah, because you are handling it so well now. Look, she obviously has some information, I'm sure we'll hear more of it soon and you can just concentrate on that until she gets back, then you can discuss this with her." Flint wasn't sure whether he wanted to be anywhere on base when the two of them 'discussed' this. Both had stubborn streaks a mile wide and he had a feeling that if they set their minds to it, they could have one hell of a blowout argument that would put any that he'd had with Jaye to shame.  
  
Doc entered the room and looked at Duke, "We got another call from Scarlett, we think we can get that thing out of your neck now, you ready to have it gone?" He wore a big grin, pleased that he could find something to help the situation.  
  
Flint shot Duke another look as if to say 'I told you so', and Duke sighed; at least he knew that Scarlett was still ok. "Just get the damn thing out so I can get out of here."  
  
Doc nodded, the smile fading, "Yes, you will be busy, she also said there are five other vectors out there, unknowing. We have to find them and remove their pods too."   
  
Duke's face folded into a frown, "Not good. Then let's hurry up so I can get working."  
  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
After hanging up with HQ again Scarlett looked over to Cover Girl, "Duke's pissed. Incredibly so. But they have the info so hopefully by the time we get back it will be out of his neck and they will have found the other people."   
  
"Did you really think he wasn't going to be pissed at you?" Cover Girl chuckled, "But it's all good. I got to decoy for you and now you'll take the heat off of me. No one will remember that I was part of it." They both laughed.   
  
"Well, I think there will be someone who might care." Scarlett gave the other woman a sly grin.  
  
"Who? You can't tease me like this!"  
  
"It isn't my place to say, but I have a strong feeling that it will be very obvious by the time we get back to base." Scarlett smirked as Courtney mulled it all over in her mind and tried to figure out who it was. She thought about Duke and hoped he wasn't too upset and understood why she had to do it. They would never know all they do right now if she hadn't and that was more important than anything else. They had to stop this threat of plague; the whole world was depending on it. For a more personal reason, she just didn't think she could handle losing Conrad.   
  
The trip back to the airport and plane ride home went faster it seemed than the trip out. Scarlett was quiet, thinking about Duke and trying to prepare herself for seeing him again. Cover Girl was still trying to figure out who Scarlett thought would be upset with her going along with this plan.   
  
They touched down in Albany finally and were surprised to see there was a military escort. Scarlett arched a brow, looking at the greenshirts, "Are we under arrest?"  
  
"No ma'am. We're just supposed to make sure you go straight back to base with no detours." He looked between Cover Girl and Scarlett, licking his lips, a little intimidated by the two female Joes.  
  
Cover Girl rolled her eyes at Scarlett, "Overreact much? You'd think we were AWOL. Does Duke really think you won't hurry back?"   
  
Scarlett bit back a grin, she didn't think this was Duke's work; this wasn't his style. "Let's get going and face the music." 


	31. And So it Goes

Alrighty, this is for Slayne, hopefully she'll like it. ;) Gotta throw in the shippy goodness. This one is a bit sappier than the last couple. Deal with it if you don't like it :P *g* Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, Faithful Reader. I'm just so glad other people like this story as much as I do :D   
  
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"So I will share this room with you, and you can have this heart to break." Billy Joel - And So it Goes  
  
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Scarlett and Cover Girl stepped out of their escort's vehicle to be greeted by a very angry Ranger. "I should have both your pretty little asses court martialed for this!" He got right into Cover Girl's face as he was yelling.  
  
"Tic tac?" she said mildly, the implication clear.  
  
Beach Head growled, "Do not even try to see how far you can push me today." His voice was low and dangerous and eyes narrowed to slits. "You lied to superior officers, disobeyed orders and countless other infractions that could have you thrown out of this man's army. What? You started feeling suicidal Barbie? What were the two of you thinking?" Now his eyes finally shifted over to Scarlett.   
  
"How is he? Is he going to kill me?" Scarlett broke into his rant, concern in her voice.  
  
"He was, yes."   
  
"Was? Is he ok?" Now panic came to the surface.  
  
"Calm down Red. He's still in surgery. But they think it will be ok." He looked at her as she hurried away to find where Duke was being operated on, his voice dry, "Dismissed." His attention turned fully back to Cover Girl. "She at least has an excuse, that's her husband and she's out of the military. Why in the hell did you do it Barbie?"  
  
She shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothing better to do."  
  
"Don't give me that shit! Do you realize what in the hell you did? You went off to chit chat with Storm Shadow; at least Scarlett can defend herself-"  
  
"Excuse me? Excuse me balaclava-boy, I am very capable of defending myself as well. Scarlett knew he wouldn't attack her because of the pregnancy." Now she was really annoyed by the attitude the ranger was giving her.   
  
"Oh great, so he wouldn't hurt her, but what about you?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and he stopped his rant as he saw the expression on her face, realization coming to both parties what exactly he was saying.  
  
"You were worried about me." The corners of her mouth tugged up into a slight smile.   
  
"You are a member of this team, I worry about all my teammates. But not all of them are as stupid as you." He tried to cover his concern with insults.  
  
Cover Girl arched a brow, "Oh really? I don't seem to remember you getting all over Snakes when he would run off to do things on his own." She couldn't help but look him over as they were talking, now that she realized what all of Scarlett's cryptic comments were about, she had to admit she was intrigued. Despite the rough exterior that was his personality, he was a handsome man. Well-built like most of the men here, tall and with chiseled features, he could make a woman's heart beat faster just with a look.   
  
"Snakes Eyes was a different story. And look how he ended up: dead. You want to end up like that?" He stared at her for a moment, his brown intense eyes penetrating her own. She could see true concern in there that he was covering up with all this bravado.   
  
"I'm sorry Wayne." Her voice was quiet and different than it was typically when she was antagonizing him, and she used his real name.  
  
He eyed her suspiciously, "That's all, no smart comment or sarcasm?" He looked her up and down and Cover Girl couldn't help but shiver very lightly as he did it, "Are you sure that's you and not a Synthoid or something? Did Storm Shadow hit you on the head?"  
  
"Fine! I was trying to be nice and apologize, but if you want to continue and be an asshole, go right ahead, don't let me stop you." She stormed off, but he caught her arm before she could get far and she turned to face him, eyes blazing, "What do you want from me? I was trying to do the right thing and help a teammate, I apologized to lying to you...What more is there?"  
  
Beach Head hesitated only a moment, seizing his opportunity and taking her other arm and giving her a firm kiss on the lips. "Don't do anything like that again. You scared me." And he strode off, leaving a shocked and speechless Cover Girl behind.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Scarlett hurried through the base, down to where she thought Duke would be. When she got there, the nurse directed her to the dive area and she didn't even question why, she just ran to find out what was happening. She finally arrived and Lifeline met her at the front taking her arm and pulling her aside.  
  
"Hold on Shana. They're going to be wheeling him by soon, you can see him then." His voice was quiet and reassuring.  
  
"How is he? Did they get it out? Is everything ok now?" She craned her neck trying to see him.  
  
Lifeline gave her a thumbs up signal, "It's out. It was really tricky there for a few moments, but we think we have it out with minimal damage to Duke."   
  
Concern flitted across her face, "Minimal damage? What do you mean?"  
  
"We had to graft some skin, due to the damage from the chemical freezing we did to be able to remove the capsule. But it wasn't much. We will know for sure once he wakes up from anesthesia."   
  
As he spoke, Scarlett heard the squeak of wheels and she rushed over to the gurney and took Duke's hand and stroked it carefully. He was still unconscious and hooked up to a ton of machines, an odd shaped pillow under his head to reduce pressure on his neck, but otherwise he looked good. "When will he wake up?" She looked around for Doc's face in the sea of medical personnel.  
  
"Soon," Her eyes flew to the dark-skinned man who spoke in a calm tone. "I would expect once we get him settled he should be able to talk to you. He did great in the surgery." Doc held up a specimen jar filled with liquid and a small transparent capsule encased safely inside. "We need to get this into quarantine and study the hell out of it."  
  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Scarlett sat in a chair by Duke's bedside, his hand encased in hers, her forehead resting on them, praying a rosary softly. Her eyes were closed and she just prayed that he would be alright. Doc said he should most likely be fine, but they wouldn't know for sure until he woke up. Duke was staying under longer than they expected, but that could have been from the cold and his lack of sleep lately, but she was scared, more scared than she had ever been. IV and others tried to reassure her, but they fell on deaf ears. Lifeline finally just silently laid a rosary next to her.  
  
"Am I dead?" His gravelly voice brought her attention suddenly. He couldn't really move his head much right now because of the bandages, but his eyes searched for hers.  
  
Her blue eyes met his and filled with tears, "No honey. You're fine." She kissed his hand then his mouth softly.  
  
His hand came up and brushed away a tear, "Then why is an angel sitting next to me?" He gave her a weak smirk, despite it all.  
  
She laughed while tears continued to course down her cheeks, "Please tell me you never actually used that cheesy line on anyone."  
  
"You alright?" He wanted to be mad at her, but didn't have the strength to right now and he was just so damn happy to see her again.  
  
"I'm fine. No worries. I'm sorry I lied to you Conrad. I had to do it. I had to help and if I hadn't..." She just kissed him again and half-laid on the bed with him.  
  
"If you hadn't, you and the baby still would have been ok." His voice was as firm as it could be in his state.  
  
She shook her head without looking up, "No. We wouldn't. I knew I wasn't putting Spud in danger."  
  
A coughing laugh from Duke and then a groan of pain, "Spud, huh?"  
  
"Better than Shipwreck's suggestion of Cletus the fetus." She laughed with him but looked up with concern when he groaned again.  
  
"Ok, no more jokes, hurts too much to laugh right now." He squeezed her hand.  
  
She squeezed back, her tone solemn, "Sorry. I love you. I'm sorry you had to go through this." She caressed his forehead lightly with her finger, not able to get enough of touching him again.  
  
"Don't Shana. You didn't know and it's over now." He sighed, "Though when I'm feeling better I still may have to give you and Courtney hell for running off like that." He smiled gently at her as the door opened to his room.  
  
IV smiled sadly at them, "I hate to be the party pooper, but Duke needs to rest now." She looked pointedly at Scarlett, "Consider this the 5 minute lights out warning." She backed out of the room closing the door behind her.  
  
"I don't want to go," she whispered softly.  
  
He tugged lightly on her hand. "Don't then. Plenty of room." She smiled at him, taking off her shoes, coat and weapons and crawling into the hospital bed with him. It was tight, but she wanted to just be close to him and so it suited her perfectly.   
  
By the time IV returned to the room to try and kick Scarlett out, she found them both asleep in each other's arms. She started into the room to wake Scarlett and ask her to leave, but Doc caught her shoulder and shook his head lightly. He spoke quietly, "I think they earned this." 


	32. Calm Before the Storm

"Edelweiss, Edelweiss, every morning you greet me. Soft and white, clean and bright, you look happy to meet me." Rodgers and Hammerstein "The Sound of Music"  
  
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Scarlett awoke slowly the next morning, enjoying the feeling of Duke's arms around her. It was so comforting and just right. She kissed him softly, not wanting to wake him up, then slipped out of the hospital bed, being careful to not dislodge any of the IVs, cords and monitors connected to her husband. She went into the bathroom, splashed some water on her face and smoothed her hair. She went to the door, opening it and looking out to see Doc poring over files, stepping out and speaking quietly. "Morning Doc."  
  
Doc smiled at her, "Sleep well?"   
  
She grinned back, nodding. "Of course. Thank you. We really needed that."   
  
He nodded once, "I know how it is." He looked over to the room from where she exited, "Is he still asleep?"  
  
"Yes, I know he needs the rest, whether he wants to admit it or not."  
  
He smirked at her, "Sounds like someone else I know." He put down his pen and winked, "Want to do a quick check over for you while he's still sleeping?"  
  
"Sure. Lead the way, Doc." She followed him into an exam room, lying back on the table as he asked her the basic questions about the pregnancy and her health. She pulled up her shirt to allow him access to her stomach, a little surprised at how big she suddenly seemed.  
  
He noted her look of surprise, "One day, it just kind of pops out. No room on the inside, so the baby has to go somewhere." He smiled reassuringly and palpated her belly. "You feeling the baby move yet?"   
  
She shook her head nervously, "No. Is that bad? Well, there were a couple of times where I thought maybe it was the baby...but I'm not sure." Concern creased her brow.   
  
"Don't worry. They say it's hard to recognize the first time around. Probably by the time you realize it, Duke will be able to see it on the outside." He pulled out the hand-held doppler device and squirted some jelly on her abdomen, moving it around quickly before finding the racing heartbeat of the baby. Doc turned off the doppler, handed her a cloth to wipe off with and helped her sit up. "Everything looks great. Let me know if you have any questions or problems, but really from here on out, until we get closer to delivery, you're just in autopilot. I do want you to watch your salt though; your blood pressure is still staying a little high. Nothing to be concerned about, but better to nip it in the bud, right?"  
  
"Right. I'll lay off the salt." She grinned, pulling her shirt back down. Like most soldiers, she over-salted everything. It's a habit picked up from eating poor tasting rations in the hopes that with enough salt, it will either taste good or kill the taste entirely. "I'm going to go back to Duke so I'm there when he wakes up, alright?"  
  
"Yes, but keep in mind, Hawk wants to talk to you. I'll say you are under orders to remain here until Duke's awake, but after that, go report to him, understood?"  
  
"Yes sir!" She grinned and saluted as he gave a half-hearted salute back at her retreated form.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Shana returned to Duke's room, sitting in the chair next to him and picking up his hand again. She stayed that way, praying as she was when she was waiting for him to wake up from surgery, until she felt her hand squeezed by his. She looked up and then stood to kiss him again, "Good morning." She kept a hold of his hand with her right, the left stroking his forehead and hair, giving them both the contact they craved. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like they just took out a big chunk of my neck." He chuckled softly, watching her carefully as his tone turned more serious, "You shouldn't have done it. Damn it Shana, you've got to think of someone besides yourself!"  
  
"I was Conrad, I was thinking about you!" she cried in frustration. "I thought about the baby, having to grow up without a father. I thought about watching another person I loved die and how I didn't think I could survive it." Her voice got quieter, calmer, "You have to trust me. I know what I'm doing; I've been doing it a hell of a long time, even before I met you."  
  
"I trust you, I just don't trust the rest of the world. What if Storm Shadow had been leading you into a trap? What if he had just simply decided to kill you? You are a talented martial artist but this is Storm Shadow we're talking about." Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he amended, "And you are pregnant, which affects your balance, flexibility and center of gravity."  
  
Her eyes became a little less dangerous, knowing he was right about the load in her stomach affecting her in a fight. "I know Storm Shadow. I have for years. He's a very honorable man."  
  
"There's nothing honorable about fighting for Cobra," Duke interjected.  
  
"In his mind, there is. Look. Just trust me that he wouldn't have done anything to me while I was pregnant." She crossed her arms in annoyance.  
  
Duke clenched his jaw, "So you think. You were lucky this time, and you dragged Courtney along with you! She could have been discharged if something went wrong, at best. At worst, we'd be preparing for a funeral, unless you brought along a pillow to stuff into her shirt to protect her."   
  
"Oh great, now you sound like Beach Head!"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
She moved her hand into a mocking speech gesture, "Risking poor innocent Courtney's life, blah blah blah. She's not a child and neither am I! You know very well how things work on this team. Sometimes official doesn't cut it but that doesn't mean the job doesn't need doing. So, we find a way, whether it is right or not."  
  
The door to the room opened and Doc walked in, "Sorry for not knocking, but Scarlett, Duke, this is not the time to be having this fight. Duke, you need to rest. Scarlett, you need to report to Hawk." He looked at both of them sternly, "You have five minutes to kiss and make up." He turned to leave, smirking lightly.   
  
Scarlett looked sheepishly back at Duke, her cheeks colored in embarrassment. "He's right; I'm sorry." She sighed, sitting on the bed, "I'm sorry I scared you. But I love the baby just as much as you do and I will make sure that he or she is safe and comes into a world that is safe. If I hadn't done it, we wouldn't have been able to get it out of your neck and we wouldn't know about the other vectors."  
  
He cut her off, "Other vectors? Who?"   
  
"We don't know yet. Storm Shadow didn't know. I think they are working at trying to track them down now."  
  
"Find out, please. I hate being out of the loop. I need to know what is going on out there with the team." His brow furrowed in consternation.  
  
The anger from earlier had mostly melted away and she gave him a long kiss. "I'll go talk to Hawk and get back here ASAP. Ok?" She kissed him once more, and then left to change quickly before getting grilled by the general. 


	33. Now I Know My ABCs

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"Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same, when temptation calls, we just look away." Barenaked Ladies, "What a Good Boy"  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
When Shana finally showed up to Hawk's office, she was quickly ushered out the door. "Meeting in 5. We've gotten a break." He shook his head as they walked to the conference room. "We've been damn lucky here. And although officially I disapprove of what you and Cover Girl did, thanks for getting it done. You can help Cover Girl on her punishment, when we decide what it will be. We've got bigger fish to fry right now though." They arrived at the door and Hawk chivalrously opened the door for her.  
  
Shana stayed quiet, thinking about what the break could be and trying to figure out their next move. She felt a pang of regret that she wouldn't be able to carry on with the mission and wouldn't be included now that it was official. Her hand went to the swell of the baby and reminded herself that it was only a short time more and well worth it.  
  
Hawk looked them all over and got straight to business. "We think we have the vectors. Since we knew how many and where they were, Mainframe was able to gain access to the hospital's records. He found five files that had some unusual attributes. We are assuming this is for tracking purposes for Cobra. Lifeline, Shipwreck," he turned to speak to them, tossing a file folder close to Shipwreck before continuing, "You are the team to find and recover one Marcus Henry. We don't know if that is a real or assumed name. From his folder, he is an alcoholic that is homeless. He's got a huge file at the hospital, and if you need to, you should be able to find out more about his location from ER nurses. Discretion and speed are of utmost importance. Understood?" Both men nodded to Hawk. "One last thing and this goes for all of you: our main mission is to recover the vectors for removal of the viral load. If that does not happen, use extreme prejudice in dealing with people who have been exposed." He saw the shocked faces looking at him, and continued, "Remember, if they are sick, they are already dead, just spreading it while they wait. Isolate the vectors as much as possible; we do not want this hitting the general population through infection or media. Alright. Alpha team is dismissed." Doc and Shipwreck stood, taking the folder, both faces showing the concern they had about this mission.  
  
Scarlett herself was very concerned about the possible loss of civilian life, but reminded herself that if the virus were to get out, far more people would die. She made notes about who was on what team and which vector they were chasing, absorbing it all to bring back to Duke. She could have done a conference call so he could listen in, but she knew he needed the rest and there was nothing he could do right now. She looked up as Hawk continued.  
  
"Jaye, Flint are Bravo team." Another folder was slid across the table, "Lucille Westerburg. Fifty-nine year old socialite. Jaye, this is your vector because she has connections to the media and your family. Please feel free to abuse that knowledge as much as possible." A somber nod from Lady Jaye. "Dismissed." Jaye and Flint exited without speaking as well.  
  
"Charlie team is Falcon and Spirit." Falcon arched a brow at Hawk for that choice of team as he received the dossier. "Subject is a college student in Albany. She lives in an all-female dorm, but I thought Falcon would be able to slip past its defenses." Hawk gave a tight smirk and dismissed them as Falcon muttered something under his breath as he and Spirit went out the door.  
  
"Delta team, Beach Head and Cover Girl -" He was interrupted quickly.  
  
"But sir!" Cover Girl looked almost panicked.  
  
Hawk glared at her, "Are you questioning my orders, soldier?" Resigned, she shook her head and Hawk continued, "You drew the tough one. Subject is a six month old infant girl. Can you handle it?"  
  
Beach Head's expression was unreadable behind his balaclava but he nodded. Cover Girl shrugged and then nodded as the General continued. "Be careful with this one. Babies are a PR nightmare." Hawk was trying very hard to keep his personal feelings out of the situation, but Scarlett could tell that it was for more than just the PR that Hawk was upset. He spoke quietly to Beach Head, "I expect to see her safe and sound, understood?" Beach Head nodded once more before leaving with the folder and Cover Girl. Cover Girl threw Scarlett a panicked look as she left, but still followed Beach out.  
  
"Echo team is Stalker and Alpine. Subject is a nineteen year old gangbanger. He's a Dreadnok, but not very involved in Cobra. But it does mean that you two should be extra careful. I would suggest body armor, just in case. Any questions?" Both men shook their heads and Stalker took the folder to begin flipping through it. "Dismissed, good luck." Stalker led the way out of the conference room, with the remaining Joes filing out as well, leaving Scarlett and Hawk alone to discuss what was coming.  
  
She looked at him, expression grim. "How bad is it really?"  
  
"Honestly? It's bad." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Two of our five vectors do not have permanent homes which will make them more difficult to find. And I worry that any time Cobra could set off those things in them." His voice dropped low and strained as he continued, "A six month old baby. How could they do that?"  
  
Scarlett had been wondering the same thing herself, but was touched by the concern a hardened General would give to an infant and reached over and gave the General's hand a squeeze. It was hard to know what the right thing to do was, in a time like this. "Don't worry sir. We'll save the day." She gave a half smile, "We always do, right?"   
  
He laughed half-heartedly, "Yes, you do. Now go update your husband on the situation. He's going to kill the infirmary staff if you don't get back there soon, I'm sure."   
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Shana was headed back towards the infirmary when she was ambushed by Cover Girl. The redhead looked deeply disturbed. "Shana! What am I going to do? I'm partnered with Beach Head!"  
  
Shana grinned, "Work with him, that's my guess. Maybe you two can get closer." She gave the former model a wink.  
  
"He kissed me!"   
  
"WHAT?" Scarlett was shocked; she thought this was still several days down the road at least. "What happened? Was it good? What did he say?"  
  
A smile crept onto Cover Girl's lips as she spoke, "It was a nice kiss," she admitted, her cheeks coloring. "After you left to see Duke, he said that he was mad because I scared him and not to do it again." Dumbfounded, Scarlett just stared and waited for Cover Girl to continue. "And then he practically ran away and we've not spoken until this meeting."  
  
"Don't worry. You'll figure out what to do when you are there. I've got a good feeling about it." Shana smiled reassuringly.  
  
Cover Girl looked dubious. "Well I don't. I feel like I want to throw up. I just...It's Beach Head for goodness sake! Smelly, mean, uncouth..."  
  
"Hot." Scarlett grinned at her. "Admit it, without that mask on, he's pretty good looking."  
  
"I've never noticed," she said, looking away.  
  
"Liar. You're blushing. Just admit it, he's good looking." Courtney tried to shrug it off and Shana sighed and put her hands on her hips, looking at Courtney firmly, "Do you want me to get him court-martialled for sexually harassing you?"  
  
"NO!"   
  
"So, you want him to kiss you again?"  
  
"No! Yes...I don't know!" Courtney finally admitted defeat and muttered, "Fine. I admit it. I wouldn't mind seeing where this would go. But you keep your nose out of it." Courtney tried to keep a straight face, but a small smile crept to the corners of her lips, "He is kinda cute when he's not being an asshole."  
  
"Yeah, and you're pretty nice when you're not being a bitch. So you're perfect for each other." Shana grinned, not believing in the past few days how much closer she'd grown to Courtney. A week ago, they couldn't stand each other and now, she'd really helped fill the void of Allie being so busy with her own wedding.  
  
Courtney elbowed her, "Ditto. Well, I guess I gotta go face the music. Wish me luck."  
  
"Good luck." Her tone became less jovial as she continued, "Good luck with the mission. I know you can do it." She waved once more and watched the other woman walk away and sincerely hoped that they could handle these missions, the fate of the world rested on their success.  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Scarlett returned to sickbay with a very annoyed looking nurse greeting her. "Finally! He's a very impatient patient. I thought he was going to throw me in the brig when I refused to call around the base to find out what happened with you and Hawk after no one answered at the office."  
  
She smirked, "Your mistake was in making any calls for him in the first place. He should know that he needs to be patient." There was a ring and the light went on above Duke's room and Scarlett chuckled, "I'll go and update him, putting both of you out of your miseries." She opened the door and grinned at her husband, "I hear you've been a difficult patient while I was gone."  
  
Conrad frowned at her, "Where have you been?"  
  
"My my, that sounds vaguely like you are pouting." She leaned over and kissed him before he could retort. "We got a breakthrough and I sat in on the meeting as Hawk dispatched teams."  
  
"Breakthrough?" Duke's face brightened a bit.  
  
"Yeah, they think they know who have the implants, just a matter of finding them before Cobra knows we know and terminates them all."  
  
He let out a sigh, "Good and bad news then. Christ, what in the hell are people thinking when they make these superbugs?" Concern suddenly sparked in his voice, "You aren't on a recovery team are you?"  
  
She made an 'x' over her heart, "Cross my heart and hope to die, I'm staying inside for this one."   
  
He held his hand out to her and when she took it, tugged her to sit on the bed with him, "No dying. That's what we're trying to prevent here."   
  
She smiled and kissed him slowly, "Same goes for you, Mr. Man of Action." Her arms snaked around him gently. "You've got a lot more years of putting up with my shit ahead of you, ok?"  
  
His eyes closed, a smile still on his face from the kiss, he said, "Keep kissing me like that, I'll put up with whatever shit you can give me." He opened his eyes again, meeting her eyes. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too. They're going to get this done. I know it." She tried to sound confident. She'd been reassuring everyone else so much, she was starting to believe her own hype. She prayed as she rested in her husband's arms that it would be true and this threat would be neutralized without a large loss of life. 


	34. Water Under the Bridge

=======================  
  
"when times get rough, and friends just can't be found,  
  
Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down." Simon and Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"  
  
----------------------  
  
"So Lifeline, are you gonna hit the titty bars with me in Boston when we get done with this mission?" Shipwreck gave the medic a grin.  
  
Lifeline glared at his partner, "Shut up Shipwreck. This is not a joke or a game." He was intensely concerned about this threat, with his medical training he knew just how bad it could be. He really didn't have patience for the sailor's wisecracks.  
  
Shipwreck held up his hands, "I was just kiddin'. It's how I deal with stress, OK?"  
  
"Then see Psych-Out and find a new way." Lifeline's voice was terse as he drove.   
  
"Hey man, who put a stick up your butt?" Shipwreck grumbled and crossed his arms, tipping his hat over his eyes.  
  
Lifeline ignored the pouting occurring in the passenger seat and continued, "I think it would be better if we split up. I'll get information from the hospital. You can do...whatever it is you do." His eyes focused on the road ahead and the task at hand. He was very unhappy with being paired with Shipwreck, but all he could assume was that Hawk had his reasons for the assignment.   
  
"Look barnacle-breath, cut out the insults. I'm just as upset as you are and I'd like to save my anger for Cobra instead of wasting it on you. I would suggest you do the same." Shipwreck's tone was quiet and serious.   
  
Lifeline blinked and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're actually right," he admitted reluctantly, "But I still think splitting up will find him faster, ok?"  
  
"Whatever." Shipwreck sat in sullen silence until they reached the village green of Boston, near Mercy. "Drop me off here." Lifeline pulled the car to a stop, Shipwreck flipped off his hat, grabbing behind the seat for two bottles of cheap whiskey.  
  
Anger flared in Lifeline, "We're on DUTY!"  
  
Shipwreck's eyes narrowed at him, "And we're fishing for an alkie. You have to have the right bait to catch the fish, got it?" He slammed the door of the car shut, hiding one bottle in his coat, taking a swig of the other one. Lifeline pulled away, but Shipwreck could still hear him muttering angrily over the comm link. He laughed and shut it off.   
  
------------------  
  
They had both changed clothes before they left and now Edwin Steen was in scrubs and a white coat. He had the proper identification that he would need, as long as no one got in-depth, which he doubted they would. He got out of the car, locking it and hearing the beep of the alarm engaging. He walked into the hospital and went straight to the ER. He went into the lounge to catch some of the nurses on break.   
  
He lucked out, there were two women chatting over coffee. They stopped dead, mid-word, when Edwin walked in. He gave them a congenial grin, "Hi..."  
  
The brunette regarded him suspiciously, "What do you want?"  
  
So much for pleasantries, "Hi ladies, I'm from Holy Heart Hospital, and I was hoping someone here could help me."  
  
Now they seemed a bit interested, "Maybe, what do you need?"  
  
He grinned, thinking to himself that he was made for undercover work, "See, we had this guy come in, and he took my clothes out of my locker." Both nurses snickered at him, "Yeah, I know, funny. But...I was planning on proposing to my girlfriend tonight and the ring -"  
  
"OHMIGOD!" The blonde nearly shrieked, "He took the ring too?" The brunette was still laughing at the situation.  
  
"I don't think he knew it was in there. But I'm supposed to meet my girlfriend and her parents in an hour. And I think she knows it's coming. So. I gotta find him. He mentioned he comes here too? Called Murky Marcus and has a problem with the bottle?" Ed was really starting to get into the swing of it now.  
  
"Oh you poor thing. He usually does come here. I wonder how he ended up at Holy Heart! But he usually sleeps under the railroad bridge about two miles south of here." The brunette hadn't completely stopped laughing, but she did have pity on his story.   
  
Lifeline filed the information quickly then moved to the door, "Thanks ladies, hopefully I'll find him in time!"  
  
"Good luck" they both called after him as he ran out the door.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Shipwreck left the car that he had shared with Lifeline on the trip down and took a few more swigs of whiskey. He kept the other bottle hidden and started moving in large concentric circles to try and find any gatherings of homeless. He lucked out quickly, finding a group of men huddled by a ... was that a TV? Hector chuckled to himself, thinking, "Only in America would the bums have TV." He went over to them and saw them get a fierce protective look in their eyes. He held up his hands to them, "Hey man. I jus' wanna fine a place ta see da game." His words slurred easier with the alcohol in him and the smell from his breath made them calm down. Many were in the same position of falling into a bottle and not being able to get out.  
  
Hector crouched down and watched the game for a few moments, between the snow and static. He handed the other bottle out to share, which earned him the trust and respect of the alkies. After they had all shared out the booze quickly, he asked off-handedly, "You guys seen Marcus around? I owe him the last of this bottle. Good man that."   
  
The other men nodded their heads in agreement, "He can be an asshole sometimes but he'll always try and help ya out." The homeless man jerked a thumb behind him. "He's under the trestle. He wasn't feeling well. I think the bottle'll cheer him up." The men laughed as Shipwreck felt his stomach drop and stood up.  
  
"I better get this to him quick then." He plastered on a big fake grin and tried to not start running. He had tried to memorize the men at the television in case they needed to be quarantined later but the most important thing was getting to Marcus. He remembered his comm and turned it on quickly as he was running, now out of sight of the civilians, "Lifeline! Lifeline, come in!"  
  
Lifeline's annoyed voice was there right away, "I've been trying to contact you Shipwreck; I found where Marcus is. I'm just pulling up now."  
  
"STOP!" Lifeline winced as Shipwreck yelled into his ear. "I'm almost there on foot. I found him too, but his buddies told me he's sleeping now because he wasn't feeling good earlier." He placed much emphasis on the last phrase, in case there was a way that Lifeline would miss it.  
  
"Oh God." 'Wreck could hear it was more of a prayer than a curse. They arrived at the trestle at almost exactly the same time.  
  
"So how do we handle it?"   
  
"I'm going in. I don't want to start a huge scene yet. If he's still mobile, I'll help him get to the car and drive him to base. You radio ahead and tell them about the cargo, alright?"   
  
"Hell no. I know what you are talking about there Lifeline and like it or not, we're partners in this mission. Sink or swim together. Let's go." Shipwreck gave a rakish grin to cover up his own fear. What he and Lifeline were talking about was a suicide mission. If this man was infected already, they'd be giving up their lives to contain him. He heard Lifeline radio back to base and explain the situation, but it sounded like it was coming through a tunnel, far away. This was not how he pictured his life ending. All that worrying about his genetics, for nothing.  
  
They came up on the trestle and saw a body lying on a ratty blanket. Lifeline approached him first, "Sir?" The body didn't move and Ed tried to move to get a better view, using his flashlight. His voice was raspy when he finally spoke to Shipwreck, "He's dead."  
  
Hector gulped, "Plague?" This was it, end of the road for the sailor boy. He looked up though as he heard an odd laugh come from of Lifeline. "What? What is it?"  
  
Lifeline couldn't help the laughter that was bubbling through him, the relief that someone would be dead never was an emotion he thought he would feel. "I think it's hepatitis. His skin's as yellow as the sun. Nothing to do with what we know of the plague. We'll take precautions bringing him in, but I think we lucked out sailor-boy."  
  
Hector sighed in relief. "Thank God. I really didn't want to die with you. I always wanted to die with some redhead with really big breasts mid-"  
  
"Stop right there. I don't want to know the rest. Please. I didn't really want to die here with you either." He paused as he finished zipping the man into a body bag they had brought with them, "But thanks for not making me die alone."  
  
A grunt of acknowledgement was all he got from Shipwreck, because that was the properly male response to an emotional moment, "Let's just get the hell out of here before that thing breaks in his neck." 


	35. What's Your Sign?

"You've got to trust your instinct, And let go of regret" 311 - "All Mixed Up"  
  
-----------------------  
  
Falcon looked over his partner for the mission, Spirit, carefully. The broad shouldered native was dressed much like Falcon, in a tight fitting black t-shirt and a pair of chinos. Falcon's clothing was only different by the color, they both looked incredibly built in their clothing and enough to make any woman's heart skip a beat seeing their biceps rippling.  
  
"I do not think this is necessary," Spirit was dispassionate as he spoke. He had been partnered with the annoying playboy who had come up with the plan of attack for the evening, and about the only thing he agreed with was that he would keep to the back.   
  
"I do. This is going to be the easiest way to get her out and back without her raising an alarm at all." Falcon tried to be patient as he explained, but couldn't help rolling his eyes at the somber man with pursed lips behind him. "Come on, it will be fun."  
  
"Fun? I would have more fun going into battle with Cobra."  
  
Falcon shrugged, "Well, then think of it like that to make it easier on you. You have our supplies?" Vince was still focused on his hair being perfect in the mirror.  
  
"I do." In truth, Spirit just viewed this as his duty and rather distasteful and he was bothered by the fun Falcon appeared to be having with it. It was unethical in general, though he could easily justify it considering the circumstances and the fact that they would most likely be saving this girl's life, but still it should not be reveled in, in his opinion.  
  
"Then, we're ready to rock and roll." Falcon grinned devilishly and Spirit grudgingly followed behind, trying to squeeze his larger frame into the tiny convertible. "Sorry it's small, but you have to have good wheels to pick up the good chicks."   
  
Falcon thrummed his fingers on the wheel of the car to the music, ready for what they were walking into. Spirit looked dubious as they pulled to a stop in front of a dark house. "Are you sure this is it?"  
  
"Absolutely. I received excellent intelligence that she would be here." He turned off the car and hopped out. "Anyway, it's common knowledge that you black out all windows so the cops won't bust your kegger." Falcon smirked and elbowed Spirit, heading into the house.  
  
Spirit watched the would-be romeo chomp at the bit and sighed. This was going to be a long mission. He sighed and then followed his partner into the darkness of the party.  
  
:::::::::::::::::  
  
The music was so loud in the basement of the rented house where the party was being held, they could hardly speak to each other. Spirit was amazed that people would actually choose to spend their time in this dank and dirty basement, the only draw being the keg of beer and the drunken girls who were dancing seductively on a makeshift dance floor.   
  
His eyes travelled over every occupant, hoping their intelligence was correct and she was here; he didn't want to have to go to every party in the city to find her. Falcon on the other hand seemed to be having a good time, beer in hand and chatting it up with a couple of busty girls. Finally Spirit's eyes found the target, a young woman with long curly brown hair, in the corner with her friends, trying to talk over the music. He tapped Falcon, let his eyes move to the girl and nodded.   
  
Falcon nodded as well, excusing himself from the girls he had been speaking to, and he and Spirit picked their way over to the target: Molly Herron. They arrived at the small gathering of friends and Falcon put on his most suave smile half-yelling to be heard over the music, "Hey, why is a beautiful woman like you not dancing?"   
  
Molly looked to her friends and rolled her eyes, then turned back to Falcon. She pointed to her feet, "Paraplegic." She smirked, seeing how the men would react to her rebuff. The dark-skinned man looked amused and the hotshot boy looked confused for a moment then forced a laugh. She suppressed rolling her eyes again at his reaction, not too quick on the uptake. When he gestured towards the upstairs and mouthed 'outside', she debated. It could be fun to play with this guy, or he could get pushy and annoying. She decided to take the risk, because it could make an amusing story to share later.   
  
She motioned to her friends and they all went up the stairs to the fenced in back yard. There were a few people milling about, but the weather wasn't very conducive to staying outdoors for long. "So, what do you need?" She was intrigued a bit that the older native man had followed. He didn't fit in with the college crowd at all, and he knew it from the look on his face. "I do have ID if you guys are cops."   
  
The younger man laughed, "No, we're not cops. It's just hard to talk down there. Hi. I'm Vince." He stuck his hand out in greeting, which she took tentatively. "Pleased to meet you -" He stopped himself from saying her name in time and seemed to just be waiting for her to introduce herself.   
  
"Molly. Nice to meet you too. Don't tell me you two are students?" She looked incredulously between the two men.  
  
"I am." He jerked his thumb to Spirit, "That's Charlie and he's an old friend." Spirit nodded imperceptibly at the introduction. "Want to get out of here and go to a real bar so we can talk?"  
  
Molly looked at Charlie, then Vince then back at her two friends and bent her head to confer with them. While they were whispering, Falcon whispered to Charlie, "What do we do if this doesn't work?" He eyed the girls, seeing one having major objections; not their target but still makes it more difficult for them to isolate theirs.   
  
"We will change our plans." Falcon glared as Spirit stated the obvious, trying to hide a smirk.   
  
The girls finished their conference with one stalking off, muttering about stupid men, the other two having mischief in their eyes. "We're game, as long as you are buying the drinks. Ok?"  
  
Falcon nodded readily. "Of course. Come on, I'll drive."   
  
"Whoa there. We drive our own car. No offense, but we don't want to get stranded, in case you turn out to be cretins." Molly chuckled, obviously a confident girl who had already had a couple of drinks.   
  
Spirit spoke quietly, "You have been drinking. Driving is not advisable."   
  
Molly opened her mouth to make a smart comment, then nodded, "You're right." She whispered again for a moment with her friend, then turned back to the men. "It's settled then. Kim will go with Vince, Charlie will drive me in my car and we'll meet at the bar. Ok?"   
  
Falcon gaped; he was getting stuck with the friend! Molly seemed to be much more intrigued with Spirit than she was with him. What a blow to the ego, getting passed over like that. Hell, on second thought, Kim was pretty cute herself, he could have fun keeping her busy.   
  
::::::::::::::::::  
  
Molly had been surprised, Vince wasn't too much of an asshole after a while and she really liked Charlie, even though he was old enough to be her father. Just something about him made him seem mysterious and hot. She was happy enough to spend her time talking to him, and he didn't seem to be pressing her for sex, which was nice for a change.   
  
About an hour after they had arrived at the bar though, she began to feel very funny. Charlie had looked at her with concern and spoke to her friend and Vince and they both nodded and he helped her up and walked her out to her car. He buckled her in, then got around to the other side, speaking quietly, "Don't worry. You're going to be alright. We'll get you home tonight." Something about the way he worded it seemed odd to her, but she was too sleepy and passed out once the car started to move.  
  
Spirit looked over as the girl passed out and sighed. She was truly a nice young woman, she reminded him of his niece, but she could get herself in a lot of trouble if someone less honorable had picked her up. He injected a small amount of sedative into her, to ensure she would sleep through the trip back to the base.   
  
When he arrived, he was quickly waved through and he carried her into the sickbay. Doc took her from there and told him not to worry, he'd have her back in a short while. He waited anxiously for her to come through, feeling very vested in her case now. Falcon returned during the wait and updated from his side and Spirit was glad he didn't take advantage of the young woman and safely saw her home. It didn't take more than a couple of hours for Doc to return and give him an update.   
  
"Her pod was in her forearm, there's some slight muscle damage. We're going to have to cover that up. But the pod is out safely and she is disease free." Doc pronounced proudly.  
  
"Thank you Doc. How else may I help?" Spirit spoke thoughtfully, wondering what else would need to be done to finish covering their tracks.   
  
Doc shook his head. "Nothing. I'll transfer her to a civilian hospital; we have a cover story in place." Spirit looked at him expectantly but Doc shook his head, "Better if you don't know." His guilt was bothering him a bit about what needed to be done, but he knew as well as any how important this was and a broken bone or two, carefully done, would be much better than dying of the plague. The important thing was that they had the pod and the secret was safe. 


	36. Cuppa Tea

=====================================  
  
"I built a little empire out of some crazy garbage called the blood of the exploited working class." They Might Be Giants - "Kiss Me, Son of God"  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Jaye was dressed in a lovely pink dress, very feminine, with even a bow in her hair and pink heels on her feet. Flint, dressed in slacks and a polo couldn't believe the easy transformation she made into society girl; she even had all the clothes at the ready. "You look great Jaye." He smiled at her in the passenger seat of the jeep.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Remember. Allie only at the Westerburgs." She gave Flint another once over as they approached the gate to the Westerburg estate. "Just let me do the talking and pretty much agree with anything I say."  
  
"Don't I do that anyway?" He gave her a rakish grin as they were waved through.   
  
She sighed, "Come on. This is going to get back to my family, no matter what, so I want to make a good impression. And of course the mission," she added hastily.  
  
"I'll be on my best behavior." True to his word, when he stopped the car in the circular drive, he laid a hand on her arm to keep her from getting out and went around to the other side to open the door for her and then offered his arm to escort her up the stairs.  
  
Allie rang the bell and it was answered by a young woman, "Ms. Hart-Burnett? Mr. Fairbourne?" They nodded and the woman smiled and led them into the sitting room. "Missus Westerburg will be down in a moment, may I get you something to eat or drink?"   
  
"I'll have a lemonade, please." Allie looked at Dash to see if he wanted anything, but he shook his head.  
  
Honestly, he was a little freaked out. He was not from this world and Allie adjusted so easily to ordering servants around and being in opulence. It wasn't something he could provide for her either. She noted the look on his face and gave him a reassuring smile. He supposed it would alright, she joined the Army for a reason, so she must not long for this life too much.   
  
Lucille Westerburg entered into the sitting room and Allie nudged Dash to remind him to stand. She stood as well, with a bright smile on her face as she was greeted. "Why, Alison Hart-Burnett! I haven't seen you since your coming out it seems." They embraced and lightly kissed cheeks.   
  
"Coming out? Is there something you need to tell me?" Flint whispered in her ear as she stepped back.   
  
She glared at him and quickly hissed, "Mind out of the gutter. Debutante." Flint shrugged and got a little look on his face that told her that he would be giving her hell about that later. In her normal voice to Lucille, "It has been too long."  
  
"I'm sure your mother thinks the same," Lucille spoke pointedly, knowing that Allie had joined the military and her family's disapproval of the decision. "So, what brings you here today? I'm sure this is not purely a social call."  
  
Allie turned more serious, still trying to decide the best way to play this. "Unfortunately not." She paused as she accepted the lemonade that the butler brought her. "We heard you had been in the hospital recently?"   
  
Lucille nodded, looking puzzled. "A terrible annoyance. I had passed out and I knew it had been from heat, but they were afraid I had hit my head, insisted on calling an ambulance and sending me to that horrid hospital. Half of the doctors didn't even seem to speak English and they would not leave me alone." Her voice was indignant and Jaye realized the best angle to approach this was to exploit the woman's prejudice about the doctors.  
  
"Yes, that's why we're here. There's no easy way to say this, but there is a suspicion that perhaps one of the men there was not really a doctor and might be involved with terrorist activities." She spoke carefully, watching as the other woman nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"That does not surprise me at all! We need to work more at keeping those foreigners out and making sure our people are safe and stop worrying about the rest of the world!" Flint winced at her attitude, considering it to be the height of un-American to be so bigoted. Once they were all "foreigners" except the Native Americans, and he'd seen enough of reservations to know that there was nothing to be proud of as an original settler. Lucille leaned over conspiratorially to Allie, "They could be talking about blowing up the world and no one would know with their gibberish."   
  
Allie bit her tongue, hard. Women like Lucille were part of the reason she joined the military to begin with. But instead of calling the woman on her opinion, she nodded sympathetically. "That's why we're here. Like I said, we're worried about them. I came to ask a favor. Would you mind coming with me to my army base and talking to a few of the officers in charge? They aren't taking these threats seriously, and when I heard about your experience, I thought that perhaps a woman of your standing would make more of an impression on them than I could alone." Playing the part perfectly, she wore a frustrated and pleading look. "Plus, I think your observations at the hospital that night might help lead to a capture."  
  
That cinched it for the socialite; she could be a hero saving the country from the savages. "Of course dear, I would be honored to help my country out in such a way. If you will excuse me for a moment, I'll get my things and driver."   
  
True relief showed on both Joes' faces. "You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you Missus Westerburg."  
  
"Lucille, please! It's a shame that not more people recognize this sort of threat, but bravo to you Alison. Jennifer will see you out and then we can meet out front."   
  
After they were escorted out, Flint gave Jaye a hard look, "You don't actually agree with that fruitcake, do you?"  
  
Jaye's eyes darkened, "Of course not! How could you even think that I could? But it's easier to get her to base this way than any other. She's practically foaming at the mouth to try and throw some 'darkies' into jail." An evil look in her eyes shone, "I wonder how much she'll flip out when she meets Doc?"  
  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
They had shown her around what they could of the Pit, getting a few strange looks from teammates, especially for Jaye being dressed to the nines. After the short tour, they had led her into a conference room and brought Hawk in and he feigned interest at her rantings about "those people." With a nod from Jaye, Flint went to fetch Lucille some tea. He spiked it with the drug with glee; this woman grated on every last nerve he had. He couldn't wait until she would shut up.  
  
He brought it back and watched her drink the tea as she was shown mug shots. To her credit, she did not point out any of the men in the books as the men she saw in the hospital; he knew it would have been a lie and just her trying to make trouble for innocent men whose only crime was to not be born white.   
  
On cue, Bazooka rushed into the room. "We got him General!" Hawk gave meaningful looks to Jaye and Flint and stood up and hurried out of the room.   
  
"What's going on?" She looked between both of them, confused by the abrupt departure.  
  
"They've caught the men we were looking for, all is safe again." She made an exaggerated sigh of relief, though secretly began to worry because the woman didn't seem to be unconscious yet. She looked at Flint pointedly and he shrugged.  
  
"Oh! What a relief! You do work fast here, I'm impressed. I'll be sure..." she trailed off, looking confused. "Oh dear." Jaye rushed to her side and helped her to stand, which was the last thing she needed to pass out. Once she was unconscious, Flint carried her to Doc to get her pod removed.  
  
An hour later, Doc gave them the news that she had gotten the pod removed and they were clear. Her pod had been in her shoulder blade and they were going to explain the injury resulted from the fall. That was a simple enough response and when she saw her doctor at the military base was dark skinned, they were sure she would quickly request a transfer to a civilian hospital.  
  
Flint slipped his arms around his fiancée's waist, whispering in her ear as the activity died down. "Just promise you're never going to act like that."  
  
"Like what," she said with an innocent look. She ignored his glare in response. "I promise. And if I ever start, please bring me to my senses. I do not want to turn into my mother."   
  
He kissed her, "You'll never be her. You're far too intelligent, beautiful and kind." She smiled with his compliments and hugged him tightly, feeling much better about everything. She hoped the other teams had as much success as they had. 


	37. Moment of Truth

A/N I was a little stuck on this chapter but I think I've gotten past it and the next one should be faster coming. Hope people like it.  
  
=========================================================  
  
"Head like a hole.  
Black as your soul.  
I'd rather die than give you control." Nine Inch Nails - "Head Like a Hole"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
  
Stalker and Alpine drove in silence through the streets of New York. They were decked in ghetto fabulous clothing provided by Stalker. Alpine thought that it was odd that he had been assigned to this particular target. He supposed it was because he had some medical training and wasn't white. Only problem being that he was raised in rural Idaho and might as well have "white bread" tattooed on his forehead. Stalker had a grim and determined look on his face and Alpine hoped his mirrored the ex-gangbanger's. All he wanted to do was to get out of this assignment alive with the target in hand. He was a mountaineer, not really trained for undercover work. He fingered the black leather trench he was wearing, thinking with amusement that he felt like he should be a character from 'Underworld'.  
  
Stalker looked over at him, sensing the nervousness from the other man, "You doing ok?" Alpine nodded. "Good. You just keep your mouth shut and your hand on your gun at all times. I don't know how easy it is going to be to find this boy and although these Dreadnoks aren't very connected with Cobra proper, they're still dangerous, especially to a country boy like you." He pulled the car up to a curb and halted the engine, "We go on foot from here."  
  
Both men exited the car and Alpine gripped the semi-auto in the trench pocket. He wasn't in firefights very often and he was hoping that today would be no exception. "Do you know where we're going," he whispered to Stalker. A curt nod was his reply.  
  
Alpine tried to not gape at the inner cityscape sprawled before him. He had joined the military initially to see the world and this was just as interesting to him as the upper-class portions of the city. He saw men and women huddled in alleys and doorways, children chasing each other, unmindful of the danger all around them and the occasional junkie lost in their own world, just concerned with their next fix. It was sad to see that so many people lived in these conditions. Stalker nudged Alpine back to attention as they drew closer to a small gathering of men outside a club.  
  
He watched Stalker speak with them, shocked that they barely seemed to be speaking English. He was lucky if he understood every fourth word with all the foreign slang thrown in there. It appeared that Stalker was trying to find their vector, with an unknown amount of luck. He concentrated, hoping to just make it not so obvious that he had no idea what was being said, when Stalker nodded and shook hands with the man he had been speaking to, slipping money to him as he did so.  
  
Stalker slapped Alpine on the chest and jerked his head to the side and he took that to mean to follow and so he did. "What language were you guys speaking? It sure as hell didn't seem to be English!" Alpine said in a hushed tone as soon as they were a good distance away from the men.  
  
A deep rumble of laughter came from the large black man. "Street, man, you are a sheltered one, ain't ya?" He chuckled some more at Alpine's astonished face that ghetto could be so different from English, "Come on. I set up a rendezvous for us. Hopefully they ain't pulling my chain and are going to actually pass on the message. I think he was in the group we were talking to so that is a good sign."  
  
They stopped at a darkened playground and Stalker stood imperially by the merry-go-round, motioning for Alpine to join him. Alpine did, mimicking his posture, trying to look as intimidating as possible. They waited for nearly a half hour and Alpine was beginning to worry that this wasn't going to work when they saw a shadowy figure approach.  
  
'Shit, he's just a kid,' Alpine thought as he watched the boy slouch his way to the merry-go-round.  
  
"Wazzup G." The boy nodded to the Joes and they returned it.  
  
"Sup." Alpine let Stalker answer, still focused on looking bad-ass.  
  
"Yo, gots da line to the Mask?" The boy looked around nervously.  
  
Stalker nodded, "He needs a new rock necka. Heard you wanted to go places. Last busta got taken by the po po an' we need da hook up. Heard you lookin' fo sum cheddah, feel me?"  
  
The young man eyed Stalker, then looked to Alpine, "Who dat?"  
  
Cutting Alpine off before he could open in his mouth, Stalker said harshly, "Done get all up in my koolaid. He my braw and coo." Alpine just tried to not look mystified at the exchange between the two men.  
  
Suddenly, a spotlight flashed on the group on the playground and a disembodied voice intoned, "This is the police."  
  
The voice didn't get any further when the boy in front of them decided to bolt. With absolutely no hesitation, Stalker ran after him, Alpine followed a half-second later, choosing to deal with the police later. The boy realized that the men were following him and there were two loud pops as a muzzle flashed from ahead of them. Alpine felt a bullet whiz past his face and heard Stalker groan and slow.  
  
He paused near his partner, who was still trying to catch the boy. "You alright man?"  
  
"It's not serious, but we have to get the boy. Remember, extreme -" Stalker was cut off by another bullet flying past and watched as Alpine pulled out his gun and fired three quick shots.  
  
Alpine couldn't decide whether he was the luckiest man alive or the unluckiest. His semi-wild shot seemed to have found its target and he left Stalker's side to check on the boy. He found the boy gasping for air on the ground, a bubbling chest wound on one side and what appeared at first glance to be a more minor leg injury. Horror dawned on Alpine's face though as he realized the leg wound was spurting blood. He didn't have anything to use as a tourniquet and with alarming speed, the boy stopped struggling to breathe and the blood pumping out of his leg slowed to a dribble.  
  
"What happened?" Stalker had limped over, clutching his left side where he had been shot.  
  
"Lucky shots. He's not going to make it unless we get him to a hospital right now. His femoral artery's been hit." Alpine felt like throwing up. This was an ugly part of battle, being coated with the blood of another man as you tried to do something, anything, to change the inevitable that you caused.  
  
"Can't. Sorry man, it's too dangerous. That thing in him could pop and we can't let him go to a regular hospital." His tone was hard, knowing this was the only possible decision to make in this situation. "Can you carry him?"  
  
Numbly, Alpine nodded, hoisting the boy over a shoulder in a fireman's carry, shuddering at the rain of blood that fell on him. They double-timed it back to the car, trying to avoid both the police and other Dreadnoks. By the time they reached the car, the blood had stopped flowing. Alpine laid him carefully in the back seat, then helped Stalker into the passenger side, unaware of the tears falling down his face.  
  
"You gonna be able to handle drivin' man?" Stalker muttered through clenched teeth, keeping pressure on his own wound. He knew Alpine wasn't used to wet-work and this had been especially messy. His partner just nodded silently and started the car to drive back to base. 


	38. Window to the Soul

=============================  
  
"Will you guide me now for I can't see a reason for the suffering and this long misery" Bad Religion - "Sorrow"  
  
The drive out to the target had been a mostly silent one; Cover Girl had tried to engage Beach Head in conversation, but her only reward had been sporadic grunts. He seemed resolute to not speak of the kiss he had bestowed upon her when she and Scarlett had returned from their rendezvous with Storm Shadow. It was driving her crazy to think that he was maybe really interested in her, but wouldn't even talk to her.  
  
She watched his biceps flex as he tightened and released his grip of the steering wheel. One of the things he had insisted on was that he would drive - he didn't trust her to drive at a sane speed, they weren't in that much of a hurry. He really was handsome when she could see his face. He had wanted to wear his balaclava but she had insisted not because it would draw too much attention to them. He had a square jaw line and a roman nose, both fitting for his strong personality. His well-muscled body was barely concealed in the white t-shirt he wore. Behind him, there was a white oxford, still neatly hung. He wouldn't put it on until they arrived because he wanted to keep it neat and crisp.  
  
Finally, she turned the radio on to just get a break from the silence. She scanned through the channels, hearing the beat of something she liked, "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt. He made a face and hit the scan button without even asking her, settling on a country station where a man was singing about his wife leaving him and taking the dog and the truck. Courtney rolled her eyes and hit 'scan' again, this time coming to a hip-hop/rap station. Wayne fairly growled as he reached over and pressed the scan button again with enough force that he was lucky he didn't break the radio. Her fingers reached for the button, but as she heard the first few twangs, she smiled and sat back. Wayne looked at her out of the corner of her eye and she just grinned with a mischievous look on her face.  
  
"I got a lil change in my pocket going ding a ling a li-ing," Courtney sang along, not a terrible singer, but definitely not the next Brittney Spears; Wayne couldn't help but grin hearing her. "I wanna call -"  
  
Wayne couldn't help but grin hearing her sing that song. He was about to comment when she stopped singing and he realized they were just about there. He looked over to her, breaking his silence since the beginning of the trip, "You ready for this, Barbie?"  
  
She shook her head, "No, but I'll do it anyway. You have the thingamajiggy?" She shuffled through her papers and pulled out a clipboard, putting some of the papers on it.  
  
"It's not a 'thingamajiggy'," he said with annoyance, "It's a..."  
  
"Hah! So you can't remember what Doc called it either," she sounded triumphant as she spoke, pulling out the small device that looked much like a breathalyzer. "You take this. I still don't think anyone would believe that you're a doctor."  
  
Beach Head frowned at her, "Why not? You think I look too stupid to be a doctor?"  
  
Realizing she had hit a sore spot, she backtracked, "No, just that most doctors aren't as well-built as you are." Faint color rose to her cheeks as she complimented him.  
  
He just grunted in response, but Cover Girl thought he was pleased at the compliment. They got out of the car and walked towards the small, robin's-egg blue Cape Cod in front of them. Their plan was to impersonate officials from the Centers for Disease Control, out testing and vaccinating because of a nasty flu strain outbreak that had occurred less than a mile up the road. The 'thingamajiggy' as it was termed was rigged and they planned to have all three family members test positive. The next step was to get them to accept a shot that they would be told was a flu vaccine, but instead was a tranquilizer. Once tranquilized, they could easily come up with a reason to separate the baby. If all went well, by the time the tranqs wore off, the whole family would be safe and sound in a nearby hospital.  
  
Cover Girl pressed on the doorbell, but didn't hear it make a sound so she knocked as well. No answering footsteps approached, but she thought she heard the faint cries of a baby. She automatically went to try the door, but Beach Head stopped her. "We don't know what's in there yet. Let's do some recon first." She bowed to his logic and they circled around to the back of the house. They could see light flickering from the TV in a den, but still no answer to their knocks on the sliding glass doors.  
  
Holding a hand up to get Beach's silence, Cover Girl cocked her head to try and determine where the baby's cries were coming from. "Up there. Give me a boost and I can use the roof overhang to see in the window." She could tell by the look on his face that Beach Head wasn't thrilled, but he complied, making a stirrup for her to stand in as she clambered up to the roof. She edged carefully along the sloped roof to the window, praying that it wasn't covered.  
  
When she reached the window, she immediately regretted her prayer. Up in a large room that was the second floor of the house was the remains of a family. The husband and wife were sprawled on the bed, eyes bulging, lips pulled back and hands clenched into claws as if they had been mummified. The look of horror and pain on their faces was all too clear from her vantage point. Before she could look away, she saw the source of the faint cries. On the hardwood floor laid the six month old child they had been seeking. She was clearly ill and fading but still alive. Her hands were already clutched tightly and her skin seemed pulled too tight for her skull. The baby seemed to turn and stare at Cover Girl and she was so unnerved, she took a step back, forgetting she was on a slanted roof.  
  
Beach Head easily caught her as she tumbled off the roof, "What the hell are you doing, Barbie?"  
  
"We have to go in there, Beach." She struggled to free herself from his grasp. He let her stand but still kept a firm grip on her wrist.  
  
His voice was soft as he spoke, "What did you see?"  
  
She kept trying to break loose, "We have to go in and save her. Who knows how long her parents have been dead!"  
  
His hand clamped down painfully on her arm, bringing a cry of pain from her, "Were they sick? Can you tell if it was this bug?"  
  
"I...I don't know." She refused to look at him, not wanting to lie, but not being able to bear the thought of that baby dying with only her dead parents to comfort her.  
  
"You're lying." He pulled on her arm to drag her away from the house. "We need to call HQ and get a decontamination unit here."  
  
She fought with all she had against him, "NO! What we need to do is go in and save that little baby! How can you even think that leaving her there is a choice?!"  
  
His voice was harsh as he pulled her around to face him, "Can we save her? Can we?" She shook her head. "Then what good is it going to do for me to lose you too? We don't know how this bug is transmitted. Hopefully it is contained within this house. If you break in, not only are you killing yourself, you could be killing everyone else in this world, got it?"  
  
"I hate you." He winced as he watched her say those words and begin to cry. He loosened his grip on her arm, allowing her to pull free. She didn't try to go towards the house, just stalked back to the car.  
  
With a sigh, he pulled out his cell, gave them all the important information and went to wait with her in the car. He didn't look at her as he slid behind the wheel, still stung from her earlier proclamation. "I'm sorry, Courtney."  
  
"Don't be," she said dully. He looked over at her, her eyes still red from crying, "You're right. I just hate that you are." She noted his reaction to using the word hate again, venturing a hand to his arm, her voice soft, "I didn't mean it. I was just upset."  
  
He nodded stiffly, waiting for the decon team to arrive, hoping to not have to talk about it anymore. Talking was not his forte, and he especially didn't want to talk in a car in the middle of a civilian street while waiting to be quarantined. She withdrew her hand when he didn't speak or look at her and he immediately regretted its absence. He turned to her, meeting her eyes, "Listen Courtney..." His eyes were drawn to movement and his tone and posture changed as he finished his sentence, "Decon is here."  
  
She nodded morosely. She wanted out of this car and situation. She wanted to get the pictures out of her mind of that baby looking at her and crying for help. The men in white germ-proof suits came up to the car and pressed a note to the window of the car, giving them instructions. They lost interest then in the soldiers, confident they would follow the written orders and they turned their attention to the crypt that had once been a starter home. 


	39. Unsettled

"Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,  
There's a shadow hanging over me.  
Oh, yesterday came suddenly." Yesterday – The Beatles

* * *

Duke woke up from the drug-induced nap slowly. He hated the medications they were giving him, but he knew that Doc was probably being a hardass about him staying in bed. He experimentally moved his head from side to side; they had removed the collar preventing him from doing anything but staring at the ceiling. So far so good, hurt like a bitch, but he could still move it. He turned his head to look at the form next to him. She didn't have the drugs to blame for her nap, but the growing bulge was a good enough reason. He laid his hand gently on his wife's abdomen, trying to not wake her. Shana shifted slightly, but stayed asleep. He closed his eyes again, just reassured that the whole situation would turn out well because he was going to have a child and he wasn't going to bring his child into a dying world.

As his hand rested on her swollen stomach, he felt slight twitches under her skin, like she had a muscle with a tic. A dumbfounded look broke onto his face, completed with a goofy grin. That had to be the baby inside of there and he could feel it! Part of him wanted to wake Shana up to share it with her, but a selfish part enjoyed having the moment to himself. Shana moved slightly, mumbling under her breath, still mostly asleep, "Stop tickling."

He leaned over, kissing her neck before whispering, "It's not me." He grinned as her eyes flew open.

"What?" She looked at his expression and then grinned, "Really? Is that what that was?"

He laughed, "How long have you been feeling that?"

She shrugged, "A couple of days," she blushed, "I thought it was just gas."

"I love you." He laughed as he said the words and pulled her into a tender kiss. "Any word on the teams?"

She gave an exasperated sigh, "Remember? You woke up first."

He grumbled, "Details." He gingerly turned his head towards the door to his room. "Nothing too big could have happened, we would have heard."

"Not necessarily. The equipment for this is in a clean area. Don't want it accidentally killing the whole base." She tried to keep her tone light, but they both knew that it was a strong possibility that it could happen and that made it less amusing.

Duke winced slightly at the searing pain in his neck as he tried to sit up. Scarlett glared at him and pushed him gently back down. He frowned as he spoke, "I want to find out what's going on."

"Yeah, and you just got the privilege of moving your neck back, I really don't want to see it removed again. I'll go check." She kissed him tenderly then gave him a stern look, "Stay put. That's an order."

He chuckled, "In case you forgot, I outrank you."

She smirked, "Not a military order. A wife's order. And believe me, I have rank on that." With a flip of her ponytail, she exited, the sounds of Duke's chuckling reaching her ears.

* * *

Shana looked around, trying to find someone, anyone around who could give her an update. She went to the nurse's desk and called Hawk's office - no answer. She could go back to Duke's room, but she wanted to bring news back to him. She set off to try and track someone down. As she got to the entrance of med bay, she heard the sounds of people moving her way. On a gurney flanked by Doc and several nurses, was an older woman with a large bandage covering her shoulder and arm. No one paid her any attention as they continued on with the woman, taking her to a room. After several minutes, Doc came out and nodded to Shana.

"Is that one of the vectors?" she asked, craning her neck towards the room.

Doc sighed and nodded, cleaning his glasses absently. "Yes. Jaye and Flint's. She's clean now, when she wakes up, she'll think she passed out and was burned by the coffee pot."

"Ok. Do we have any news on the others?"

"Shipwreck and Lifeline are still looking for theirs, as are Stalker and Alpine. Spirit and Falcon have found theirs, but are waiting until evening to try and remove her."

"And Beach Head and Cover Girl?" she probed gently, seeing a radical change in demeanor in the doctor.

His voice was quiet, "They found their vector." He looked down, "It was too late." Scarlett gasped as Doc nodded sadly, "They're in quarantine right now, making sure they weren't exposed. I have to go do the autopsies now. If you will excuse me?" His voice sounded thick and he was trying to hide the hint of tears in his eyes.

"The baby? What about her family?" Doc just shook his head and brushed past her, leaving her in stunned solitude. The baby and her family, all dead. Beach Head and Cover Girl potentially exposed and who knows who else was exposed in the civilian world. She leaned against the wall for support when she heard Conrad's voice calling for her. She stood up again and walked back into the room. He could tell immediately that something was wrong and motioned her over to the bed.

She gratefully crawled into bed and his arms, holding onto him tightly. "Something happen?" His voice was low and soothing.

"Yeah. Two missions back, one is a near total failure. We lost subject, her family and could lose our operatives." Her voice was quiet and emotional, a striking contrast to the cold and impersonal words she spoke. "I'm going to kill him." She said it with simple certainty, still quiet.

Duke moved her face so he could meet her eyes, "Who? Cobra Commander? Dr. Mindbender? You have to swear that you are not going to go out there."

She looked away, "I told you I'd stay out while I was pregnant, don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, but I also know you. I don't want you going off after the baby is born either."

Her eyes rapidly returned to his face, narrowed and glinting dangerously, "You mean you don't want me to work at all, even after I am done with the pregnancy?"

He hesitated, knowing he was on thin ice, "I didn't say that."

"No, but you said you didn't want me running after Cobra Commander or Dr. Mindbender, even after the baby is born. How can I do my job effectively if I'm not allowed to pursue the enemy? I have news for you Duke, but I do not intend to be barefoot and pregnant for the rest of my childbearing years. If that's the type of wife you want, go talk to Cover Girl, I hear she's good at looking pretty." Her voice was rising with every sentence, and Duke knew he was in trouble.

"Calm down Shana." She glared at him, "What do you want me to say here? Is there anything I can say that's right in this situation?"

"The truth would be nice. If that's not asking too much of you."

"Ok, the truth is this: I would never ask you to stop working, but I will ask you to cut back on the more dangerous missions, or not have both of us go together on them. It might be me sitting it out, it might be you. I don't want our child to lose both parents at once if it can be at all helped. And I don't want you going out and looking for trouble and things that will put you in danger. Those situations happen, but that doesn't mean we have to actively search for them. And I would hope that if one of us were to die, the other would retire to try and make sure our baby has one parent still there to protect them and love them. I am not asking any more of you than I plan to do myself. And if it is too much to ask of you to think about more than yourself, then we're going to have a serious problem." He kept his volume level consistent and firm, with a biting edge to it.

Shana looked at him silently, she very rarely saw him upset at anything more than Shipwreck's antics. She opened her mouth to fire back a bitchy response, but took a few more minutes to consider what he actually said, grudgingly realizing that he wasn't for anything outrageous. "Fine." She didn't say anything else, but she didn't need to, he enveloped her in his arms and brought her back to rest against him.

He kissed her back, speaking softly now, "I don't want you to have to give up your career, and I don't want to give up mine. But we've got to find a balance, otherwise we have no right in calling ourselves parents. I don't want my child raised by either of our families. I want him raised by us."

Reality weighed on Shana heavily as she considered his words, "How is that going to work? Conrad, the realities of our lives is just not conducive to a family." She shook her head and whispered, "Maybe the baby would be better off with different parents." Silence greeted the statement and she started to fear that he agreed with that statement. His body had tensed around hers and she didn't know how to interpret the reaction.

His voice was almost threatening when he finally found words, "This is my child. If you don't want to be a mother, so be it. But I will not have my flesh and blood raised by someone else. If it means I have to retire, I will. I want to do this with you Shana, but if you can't, I cannot abandon our child."

Her face flushed angrily, "I didn't say that I don't want to be a mother, don't put words into my mouth! I do, but I'm scared! I didn't have a mom for most of my life and I don't know how to do this! I don't know how to cope with the fact that everything's changed now. I'm never going to just be on my own again, I'll always have someone waiting for me to come home and I'm terrified that my baby might have to go through the same pain I did when my mother died!" Silent tears fell despite her attempts to restrain them. She hated how weepy she had become since getting pregnant; Hallmark commercials could make her cry.

Duke pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head, "I know honey, but remember, I lost a parent too at a young age and that's why I'd like to set ground rules to lessen the chance that he will have to deal with the loss of both of us at once. It's not that I'm trying to hold you back, you are an unbelievable soldier and this country owes you its gratitude, but we're each going to have to give a little to try and keep things stable for Junior."

She coughed out a laugh between her tears, "Junior? Since when did we decide she'll be a junior?"

"HE should be a junior, a nice strong name like his father's." He ignored her eye rolling at his proclamation. "We'll see how right I am when he's born."

She just chuckled and snuggled closer to him; she didn't like fighting with him and was glad it was mostly over. She tried to push those unpleasant thoughts that the argument had stirred out of her head. She leaned over and kissed her husband, sitting up. "I'm going to go check on Beach Head and Cover Girl. I'll be back later."

Worry skated over his expression before he barely nodded, "I love you Shana, you know that, right?"

She kissed him again to reassure him, "I do. And I love you." She left him in the room alone, still unsettled by their fight and growing more uneasy about the prospect of being someone's mother.


	40. A Real Puzzle

Beach Head now knew how Duke felt in quarantine and he didn't like it one bit. After the decontamination team had met him and Cover Girl, they had been placed in a van and shipped back to base where they now waited. He assumed Cover Girl was in the room next to him, but it was impossible to tell really.

Truth be told, he was worried about her. She had been very withdrawn on the way back in the van. He really wished that she hadn't seen whatever scene greeted her in that house. Damn it, this was why he felt women had no place on the front lines because here he found himself worrying about her. He didn't want to feel that emotion and he was beginning to have serious doubts about his sanity for ever having any sort of non-business related thoughts about her.

Courtney could give it just as well as she took it, and despite her prissy background, she worked just as hard as a career soldier, if not harder, trying to keep up. He yelled and screamed at her and tried to break her down and get her to leave, but she never would. Whenever they weren't on the training field, she made sure to show her displeasure at his behavior. He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of trying to go out one weekend on pass, getting into his car and having it practically fall apart under him. She had removed every single bolt in the machine; he was impressed that she posed it all together so it looked believable before he got in.

He could never prove it was her, but she showed up with the bolts and made the friendly offer to repair his car. He would have refused, except he had no idea how he would get the damn thing back together. He had to admit he had fun with her that night; she was truly happy in coveralls and covered in grease. If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought she was a guy.

Well, a guy with an unbelievably beautiful body.

He wasn't sure how long he was going to be cooped up in this room, but he hoped it wouldn't be for too much longer. He didn't even have any paperwork to do; Duke lucked out and had finished most of it when he was trapped. He leaned back against the wall, trying to think of ways to kill the solitude that was quickly settling.

When he thought of it, he almost slapped his forehead. He still had his cell phone on him and providing it got a decent signal, he could at least see how Courtney was doing and maybe get a report from Hawk or Scarlett. He dialed her number, surprising even himself at how easily the numbers came to him. He didn't call her that much, did he?

Courtney's tired voice came through the phone, "Yes Wayne?" He could hear annoyance in her tone as well, and he couldn't help but smirk.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else would be calling me in here? Besides, I recognized your number on called ID." They both chuckled at that. "How are you holding up without anyone to order around?"

"Why do you think I called you? Just because you're in that room doesn't mean you're exempted from PT. I've figured out that 47 laps around the room equals to a mile, so we should be able to get a mile or two in after we finish with the push-ups and sit ups." His voice sounded so dead serious and there was a long pause after that statement.

"Please tell me you're kidding. Wayne. Tell me you didn't pace out the dimensions of the room. Wayne?" Her voice held a note of desperation as she begged.

"You know Barbie, you're way too easy to mess with. It's not even a challenge." He snorted laughter at her through the phone. "Easy to tell that you're a natural blonde."

"Oh shut up. You're just bitter that you're off work for a few days, you...you....work-a-holic." She tried in vain to come up with a better insult, but after the day she had, that was as good as she was going to get. "And anyway," she said haughtily, "I'm a redhead now."

"I liked your blonde hair. It seems like you're trying to be Shana with the red hair."

She had to laugh because really, he wasn't that far off the mark, "Well, I'm letting the color grow out I think. It's just not me."

"Exactly, ditzy blonde is much more your speed," he joked. He heard a thump as she apparently hit the wall to express her displeasure. "Sorry, you know I don't mean that."

"Yeah, I know." Another long silence. He could hear her moving around, picturing in his mind's eye how she was casting about for a comfortable place to lounge. He heard her finally settle "Being in here makes me feel like I've been institutionalized or something."

"Obviously a familiar feeling to you," he said dryly.

"Ha ha. No." She paused, then said, "Wayne?"

"Yes?"

"Are we ever going to talk about this?" Her tone was more hesitant. For her though, it was easier to address it over the phone, where she didn't have to see his face.

"About what?" He tried to keep his heart rate from speeding up. He wasn't sure he was ready for this conversation, especially if he couldn't tell how she felt.

"Um, in case you forgot Ranger-Boy, you kissed me recently." Her face flushed with embarrassment, worried and yet excited about where this could lead.

"Oh. That." He tried just staying silent for a while, hoping that maybe she'd move onto a different topic if he wasn't contributing. But she stubbornly stayed quiet and he acquiesced and said, "Well, I. I was worried about you. About both of you." He tried covering himself lamely, he was no good at this type of thing. "But nevermind. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it."

"Oh." Did he detect disappointment in her voice?

"Courtney..." he said hesitantly.

"Yes Wayne?" He could hear anticipation in her voice, which gave him the strength to go on.

"When we get out of here, I'm probably going to do something I shouldn't do, again." There was tense silence as he waited for her reaction to that.

Courtney tried to think of what to say to that. She knew it was about as close to an emotional confession that she was likely to get from him, but she didn't want to make this moment any more awkward by screwing it up with being too lighthearted...or not lighthearted enough! "I'd like that." There, simple to the point, but not too mushy.

"Good," he said firmly. He decided to escape from the conversation while he hadn't done anything to screw it up, "I'm going to hang up, don't want to run out of batteries."

"Don't!" She sounded almost desperate.

"Are you ok?" Now concern was in his voice.

He heard her swallow, "I'm having some nightmares. I don't want to sleep." Her voice was quiet and almost timid. "When I try and sleep, she comes for me because I let her die."

"I'm sorry Courtney, but you know it wasn't your fault, there was nothing you could have done."

"Maybe not, but tell that to my subconscious." She gave an uneasy laugh. "Just talk to me, please?"

"About what?" He was a little bewildered by this situation suddenly.

"Anything. What you were like when you were a kid, how you ended up here, your favorite subject, just something to keep me awake."

He considered that, then said, "Well, my childhood isn't anything cheery to speak of, my military time is boring," he heard her snort at that, "And I'm not sure you want to hear me talk about military history, that's enough to put most people to sleep."

"Isn't there anything else you do? Anything you have fun with?" She prodded gently, wanting answers, but not wanting to upset him. He muttered something into the phone, and she furrowed her brow trying to hear it, "What was that?"

He coughed, "Jigsaws. I like jigsaw puzzles." He waited expectantly for her laugh to come and was surprised when it didn't.

Instead of mocking, her voice was curious, "Why?"

"I don't know. When I was a kid, it was something I could do alone and I could see pictures of the world when I put them together. It was good for logic and problem solving and I'd time myself for them." He felt very vulnerable sharing that with her, but he seemed to not be able to help what was coming out of his mouth.

"That's pretty cool. You still do them?" She inquired curiously.

He shrugged, "I keep one that I'm working on all set up, so I can be interrupted without problems."

"Can I see one? If we get out of here alive at least?

"We're getting out of here alive, Barbie. I promise you that." He hesitated for a moment more, then said, "And yeah. I'll show you one when we get out."

"Thanks Ranger-Boy." She inhaled and then said softly, "Thank you for everything. Means a lot to me."

"My pleasure Barbie," he said sincerely. He went on to talk to her about any subject under the sun to keep her awake until the doctors could return with any sort of test results.


	41. No Distractions

AN: Yay! I think I have my first flame! I feel so special, really I do. Blondey: don't take it so personally, it's just a stereotype. God let's hope that everything I write isn't written in stone fact ;)

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"Spend all your time waiting  
for that second chance  
for a break that would make it okay  
there's always one reason  
to feel not good enough  
and it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction  
oh beautiful release  
memory seeps from my veins  
let me be empty  
and weightless and maybe  
I'll find some peace tonight" - Sarah McLachlan "Angel"

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Hawk looked over the assembled Joes, clearing his voice, signaling that the debriefing was about to start. The quiet murmur of conversation quickly died down and all attention was fixed firmly on Hawk. He straightened his papers and began. "First, I want to welcome back Shipwreck, Lifeline, Beach Head, Cover Girl and Alpine. I know being in isolation wasn't any fun, and we're all very glad that it was not needed for long." Reserved applause rippled through the room, but much of the enthusiasm had been sucked out of the team with the failures they had suffered. "Stalker is still in sick bay getting treated, hopefully he will return to duty soon.

"I can tell from the looks on all of your faces that most know the status of our missions. Technically, all were successes, but from our standpoint, we had only two true completely successful missions. Spirit and Falcon and Lady Jaye and Flint were able to successfully bring their vector to HQ and we removed their implants. They are now back at their homes, unaware of what happened.

"Unfortunately, Lifeline and Shipwreck's vector was dead when they arrived; a combination of cirrhosis and hepatitis, a shame but thankfully a mundane cause of death. Alpine and Stalker ended up in a shootout with their vector. Stalker was shot by the vector."

"Michael. His name was Michael." Alpine broke in quietly, clearly still very affected by the boy's death.

Hawk nodded and then continued, "Michael unfortunately died from his injuries, but the implant was intact when it was removed."

Alpine's head sunk lower, '_Michael was just a kid and now he's dead,'_ he thought. _'I'm a murderer.'_

Flint seemed to sense the guilt the mountain trooper carrying, gently putting a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You did what you had to, man. I'm sorry." Alpine nodded absently, trying to keep his focus on Hawk and not on his own guilty thoughts.

"Beach Head and Cover Girl had a breech of the implant and there was infection present, but thankfully, they are still here with us after their time in quarantine." He looked around at all the faces, many of whom were keeping their eyes fixed on their hands, "We will be keeping all those that we lost in our thoughts."

Courtney shivered involuntarily, and Beach Head surreptitiously placed a reassuring hand on her leg under the table. She didn't look at him, instead looking down at the table, but was nevertheless reassured by the motion.

"Our task now," Hawk continued after the moment of silence, "Is to figure out how to stop anyone else from dying from this."

"What about the people who injected these people?" Shipwreck broke in.

A ghost of a smile crept onto Hawk's face, "We have found that there is one doctor who was apparently on Destro's payroll. He's currently being held, awaiting trial for a long list of crimes that will ensure he never sees the light of day again."

Most of the group nodded, but Beach Head noticed Cover Girl tensing at that; he knew she felt that it wasn't enough and at this point, he wasn't sure he disagreed with her.

"We've got to find it and stop it now, keep it from harming anyone else." Hawk met all of their eyes and saw the same determination and steel that he felt in his own soul. "Be on the alert; I'll need fresh teams chasing down leads. Any questions?" Silence greeted him before he continued, "Dismissed."

O o o o o o o o o o o o O

Cover Girl was glowering as she strode out of the briefing room. Beach Head followed her as inconspicuously as possible, following her to the garage. He found her slamming tools around as she got ready to work on one of the vehicles.

"You sure you want to be doing that right now?" His voice was a quiet drawl and she shot a warning look to him.

"This is how I relieve stress. Don't knock it til you try it." With that, she sat down on her creeper and slid underneath the vehicle.

He crouched down near her protruding legs, "Sorry." She remained silent as she worked, him just remaining crouched there, waiting for her.

She slid back out and arched a brow at him, "You're still here?" Her tone was acidic as she grabbed a different wrench and slid back under the car.

His jaw tightened in frustration and he stood up, stalking out of the garage without another word. He didn't even know why he was trying to deal with any of this shit; women were more trouble than they were worth.

Courtney slid out from under the car after she was sure he had left, looking at the door. She wasn't sure why she was treating Wayne that way; he deserved it the least of anyone, yet she couldn't help brushing him off.

"Goddamn it all!" she yelled, throwing down her wrench. She couldn't concentrate on her work, she didn't want to talk to Wayne and all she wanted to do was to be able to sleep without seeing someone suffer inside her mind.

O o o o o o o o o o o o O

Scarlett followed Hawk back to Duke's room, grateful he would give an in-person briefing and she wouldn't have to weather Duke's whining about his lack of involvement alone. They didn't speak as they walked; there wasn't much to say. They had all been deeply affected by the mission's outcome and to make matters worse, all she could think about was what would happen if this thing was loosed on the world at large.

She sat on Duke's bed, holding his hand as he listened to the details on what was going on, squeezing his hand tightly as Hawk again touched on the results of the missions.

"So what's next Hawk?" Duke had a deep frown on his face as he spoke.

Hawk sighed, leaning against a table, "Honestly I'm not sure. We're waiting on the medical types to bring us any sort of good news, some way we can fight it. Until then, there's no use in warning the public; we have nothing concrete to give them. We're sitting ducks, just how Cobra Commander wants us," his voice rose slightly in anger. "I can't stand being at the mercy of that snake! Speaking of which Scarlett, if I can have you get back on duty, we're trying to see if Cobra has released any vectors that Storm Shadow didn't know about."

Duke nodded as best he could, "I agree. We have to figure out a way to turn the tables on this." He considered a thought for a moment, "Now that we have recovered the known vectors and have a method for removal, Get Doc out of here and out to the CDC. If anyone can make heads or tails out of this, he can."

"I'll go talk to him on my way back to my station." She leaned over, brushing a soft kiss against her husband's lips, nodding to Hawk and then quickly walked out of the room to track down Doc and try and see if there were any other plague bombs wandering around.


	42. Phage Phase

A/N: It struck me last night, this story is drawing to a close, can you believe it? I might hit fifty chapters, but I don't know. This was the second story I ever wrote, and the first Joe fanfic. I am going to miss it when it's gone :( Thank you to everyone who has gone on this journey with me, I really appreciate it. I'll probably do a large shout out closer to the end to my faithful readers and reviewers :)

Mad props go to Dr. Pradhan and her wonderful teaching of microbiology which allowed me to use my geek-speak heavily in this chapter. It's really cool about Diphtheria, though the vax doesn't work exactly like this does. :D Scientifically and medically, it's theoretically possible, however unlikely :)

Enjoy and please review, I'm almost to 100 and I'd get a warm and fuzzy feeling if I made it to 100 :D

O o o o o o o o o o O

"But, everything's gonna be all right  
Rockabye, rockabye  
Everything's gonna be all right  
Rockabye, rockabye" Shawn Mullins – "Lullaby"

O o o o o o o o o o O

Almost a month had passed since they disarmed the initial threat of the plague bearing down on the country. Scarlett had been working tirelessly to try and track down any hint of other vectors that might have been released without Storm Shadow's knowledge, but as of yet, she hadn't been able to come up with anything. Plagued almost constantly with headaches, she refused to let anything slow her down.

Thankfully, Duke was out of the infirmary; a fact the nurses were probably just as grateful for as he was. He was a terrible patient, whining and complaining about being kept out of action although he felt fine. He still was supposed to stay out of combat, but at least he could sleep in his own bed, next to his wife and walk around the pit and get real-time updates on situations. It bothered him immensely that there were very few updates to receive. Everyone was working their ass off, but they weren't getting any good leads.

Everyone on base was very uptight. Cover Girl and Beach Head had barely spoken since their falling out in the motor pool, and Beach was taking his frustration out on everyone during PT. Jaye was tempted to say something to Cover Girl about it, just so Beach would let up a tiny bit, but she decided against it, seeing how Courtney had reacted when Clutch made an off-hand comment about Beach Head in her presence.

For her part, Courtney just wasn't sleeping. The nightmares were really bad for her, seeing that poor child in her mind over and over again. Worse than that, the dreams where the bug escaped and watching everyone she cared for die. She had read Stephen King's _The Stand_ several years ago and her mind couldn't resist using that to pull out disturbing nightmares.

Wayne wasn't doing poorly really, but he was worried about Courtney. She absolutely refused to allow him to get close to her at all. He alternated between worried and pissed off. He couldn't stand that he cared so much about how she was feeling and more so, that he couldn't do anything to fix the situation.

Alpine was struggling in his own way; this had been the first time he had ever directly killed a man – no, boy. That was just a kid that he gunned down in the street. He knew the kid wasn't innocent; he had shot Stalker before Alpine had even fired a shot. Somehow though that was little consolation to the boy's mother, who Alpine had visited several times. He had gone to Michael's funeral, anonymously of course, and to see his mother sobbing as her oldest child was buried, it was almost too much to take. He knew intellectually that this was part of being in the military, but it didn't make the first time any easier.

Doc was at the CDC facilities, trying to determine more details about this bug that was developed and how it could be treated. He was frustrated as many of the scientists who had been working with the bug were killed in the initial break-in, and the notes were a mess and hard to follow. They were still trying to narrow down the type of bacteria it was and how they could possibly stop it. Doc felt increasing amounts of pressure on him every day to solve this puzzle, he knew that the lives of every single person in the world might very well depend on his success or failure.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Doc was sitting at his hotel, once again pouring over notes made by the late scientists, when something caught his eye. He flipped through a couple other pages, eyes widening. He scooped the papers into his briefcase and started making phone calls on his way down to the lobby to catch a cab.

When the team assembled at the lab, there was an anxious buzz with them all. They started individually checking all the storage units for another microbe that could be the key to all of their worries. 

"I…I think I found something!" a young woman cried, at one of the deep freezers.

"D-1942, this is what was mentioned in the papers. Oh my God, this might be it!" another man exclaimed.

Doc couldn't suppress the surge of hope that rose in his body. "Quickly – get it under any and all scopes. Start testing for phage activity. Come on people, clock is ticking!" Everyone quickly went to work, taking samples to culture and examine. Doc pointed to two other doctors, "Start growing it. If this is what we want it to be, we will need large amounts of it."

The lab was a mass of activity and Doc walked from station to station, examining the progress, being encouraged by everything he saw. This was really it.

"Confirmed, no cytokinic manipulation with D-1942." Silence for a moment after the wizened scientist made his proclamation some nine hours later. Then there was a mixture of laughter, cheers, applause and crying as they realized that this was what they were looking for and they had a way to fight it.

"Great! Now, figure what phage is associated with the pathogenic manifestation and then introduce an alternate phage. We can't have them just reinfecting our clean bug!" Doc was in tears himself, he couldn't help it – it was finally time to make the call that they had a breakthrough.

O o o o o o o o O

The phone was ringing. Shana groaned and reached blindly for it, rolling over clumsily. Every day it seemed like she was getting bigger in pretty much any way possible and it was neither pretty nor comfortable. "Hauser." She couldn't help but smile when she answered the phone with that name, no matter how late it was.

"Get Duke and report to conference B ASAP." Hawk's voice was sharp, but excited, "We have a briefing on a breakthrough on the plague case."

"Oh my God! We'll be there Hawk." She hung up and found that Conrad was already awake next to her, concern lining his face. She kissed him awkwardly and smiled, "Get dressed, it's good news I think."

They both dressed in silence, Shana being reduced to wearing the medical scrub pants she now felt we the most comfortable things she owned and one of Conrad's PT shirts. He took her hand as they hurried to the conference room.

O o o o o o o o O

In no time at all, most of the Joes were assembled, and Hawk nodded with a big grin, hitting the phone conference equipment, speaking strongly, "We're reading for the briefing Doc."

"Sorry to wake everyone, but I was sure you wanted to hear about this as much as I did." There were general chuckles around the room and he quickly continued, "What we knew is this pathogen attacks in an unusual way, it produces something called cytokines which are the chemical messengers that tell all the cells in your body how to react and behave. This particularly nasty bug managed to reproduces two specific cytokines, one for fever, one acting like a diuretic. It's incredibly fast acting, which made it difficult for treatment. It made the body burn up and dump its water all at the same time. We can treat most bacterial infections, but we need the time between symptoms being shown and the ability to treat them before they cause death.

"So, I was reading the notes the original scientists had made over this disease, and one mentioned a key word: Diphtheria. Diphtheria is also caused by bacteria, but what most people don't know is that the pathogenic form of it, the kind that makes you sick, is _also_ infected. It's infected with something called a temperate phage, which is a virus that attacks bacteria. It's the _phage_ that causes the illness from Diphtheria."

He paused, taking a deep breath and letting the non-medical personnel a moment to take all that in before continuing. "So, we started looking for a phage in our bug, and more importantly, an isolation of it that was not infected with that phage, or at least a different one. We found some in storage; we hadn't even bothered to look before, not even considering the possibility of a phage being the culprit.

"It produced no cytokinic changes, which means that without the temperate phage, this is a harmless colonization. And even better, it would mean that once a person has been infected with the non-phage bacteria, they couldn't be colonized by the pathogenic form."

Dead silence in the room. Shipwreck scratched his head, "So…You are saying we have to infect people with this bug that's not infected with another bug to protect people from the bad bug which is the same bug but just with a different bad bug infecting it."

People just stared at Shipwreck as Doc said excitedly, "Exactly. Of course we have more tests to do, but that's exactly what we think would work."

Flint coughed, "Can someone explain, in English and clearly?"

Lifeline spoke up, "Cobra's bacteria is dangerous because it has a virus along with it. We have a bacterium that's identical except a different virus with it and it doesn't make people sick and if they have our version of the bacterium, they won't be able to contract Cobra's version. Clear as mud?"

Now heads started to nod and grins began to break out on faces. "So, we may have a way to fight this disease!" Hawk said happily. "Get back to work Doc and call us with any new updates."

The conference room was buzzing with conversation at this latest turn of events. Hawk held up his hands to interrupt the conversations, "Hold on now folks, this is just a start and we could have weeks or months until we're ready. In the mean time, I need you all to keep doing what you're doing and make sure we don't have a breakout before we're ready to fight it!"

"Yes sir!" they all said as one, returning to their duty posts or beds, depending.

Shana squeezed Conrad's hand as they walked back to their quarters, "This might all be over soon," she said hopefully.

He nodded, lost in thought, "I hope so." He rubbed his hand lightly onto her stomach. "How's Spud doing?" He was trying to not get her hopes up and he was still deeply worried about the situation.

"Fair enough, kicking Mama constantly, especially when I try and sleep it seems." She smiled, also giving her belly a rub.

He smiled in return, holding the door open for her, "How are the headaches? When's your next appointment?"

"They're ok, nothing too serious right now. I hear it's really common to have headaches at this stage in the game. And I was supposed to have one a couple of days ago, but Doc's out of town."

Duke frowned, "Is that a problem? Isn't it bad to skip visits?"

She smiled reassuringly at him, "It's not a big deal, they barely do anything at this stage in the game, they just are waiting for me to be ready to pop." He was placated by that answer as they got back into bed, glad to have positive news to focus on before sleep for a change. "I love you, Conrad."

"I love you too, Shana." He kissed her tenderly, holding her in his arms as they drifted back to sleep.


	43. Reaching Out

a/n: When I started this story, I had no idea how long it would end up being:D But back then, it was really the only story I was working on and I wrote chapter after chapter without switching to another fic. I think I will be doing the same to finish it. I'm within at most 10 chapters I think of the end, maybe less, and I'm going to have this be my only focus (unless I get blocked or something ;) )

Credit and props going to Slayne for the practically patented twitch :D

And on with the show. Please review! It's hard to keep going if you think no one is reading!

O o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"And it was dark, so dark at night,

And we held onto each other,

Like brother to brother,

We promised our mother's we'd write.

And we would all go down together

We said we'd all go down together

Yes we would all go down together." Billy Joel – "Goodnight Saigon"

O o o o o o o o o o o o O

Time passed by in a crawl for the members of the elite squad dubbed G. I. Joe. Doc continued to work with virologists and immunologists to try and not only produce the exact mutation they were looking for, but to make it as stable as possible and begin culturing it in large quantities. Even as a communicable protection, they still needed a lot of material in order to seed the population, if that was determined to be the final course of action.

O o o o o o o o o o O

Alpine sat by himself out on the grounds, the cold air blowing by him being almost comforting. He heard footsteps approaching and stood when he saw Stalker walking toward him. "You out already?"

Stalker nodded and they exchanged the typical manly, one-armed hug. "Got some work to do to rebuild myself, but won't be too long before I'm out on the streets again." He watched as Alpine tensed slightly and sat down, his back resting against the tree Alpine had been using as his meditation spot.

Alpine joined him, both men resting against the tree, looking out, away from each other. "You doin' ok, man?" Alpine grunted slightly in response. "Yeah. I know how you feel."

"They made me see Psyche-Out," he said with annoyance.

"Any time an op goes down like that, we get to talk to the shrinks. They want to make sure we're not going to blow up the base or anything." Stalker chuckled slightly.

"He was just a kid." Alpine's voice was quiet and he looked out over the obstacle course. "I know all the logical reasons why I shouldn't be bothered by it, he was armed, Cobra and carrying a deadly plague for God's sake!"

"But he was just a kid," Stalker reiterated for him.

"Yeah," Alpine sighed. "I know I needed to do it. But it feels so wrong."

"No man, wrong would have been letting that bug get out. That kid was dead, he just didn't know it. You think if he had gotten away, we'd be able to find him again? You think Cobra Commander would have let him go on without ever letting that plague loose? I sure as hell don't." Stalker still didn't look at Alpine, but his voice was firm and yet almost off-hand.

"Yeah. I know you're right."

"Hell yes I'm right. And I think half your problem is you are kicking yourself for being upset. It's not easy to kill someone. It's a heavy thing on your conscience and it damn well better be because that's what separates us from the snakes. We aren't doing it callously or because we want to; we are doing this because we _have_ to. Someone's got to protect the world." Stalker smirked and stood up, holding a hand out to Alpine to help him up, "Now, come on and let me get a coffee for the man who saved my life. And you can tell me about Michael."

Alpine took the hand, standing and giving a half-smile to Stalker. "Thanks man. He really was a good kid, but when his older brother got into drugs, there wasn't much for him to do…"

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Courtney knew she had fucked up with Wayne, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. She still wasn't entirely sure why she had reacted that way to him, but she knew that it was now her responsibility to mend the breech. She knew the ranger wasn't Mr. Emotional to begin with and since she pushed him away, she knew he would back off, way off.

But she didn't want him to go away really. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of seeing more of him. He was harsh and demanding, but she knew he had a heart somewhere and that he would give his life for the team if the opportunity arose. He definitely could be a grade-A asshole, but she could be a grade-A bitch, so maybe they were meant for each other. He definitely wasn't bad to look at, once you got under that balaclava he wore entirely too much.

The snooze alarm on her clock radio buzzed again and she groaned as it interrupted her thoughts, taking a hand to hit the snooze again. She stopped mid-motion when she saw the numbers and realized how late it had become. Lazy reflection was done; she had to get her ass in gear.

She got out of bed, throwing on her PT clothes as quickly as she could. She had been struck with the bright idea to go running with him this morning as a surprise, but he always ran at the ass-crack of dawn, about 5 hours earlier than she preferred to wake up. She had to hurry or she'd miss him entirely and she wasn't sure if she could catch up with him once he was on the trail.

Cover Girl sprinted out of her quarters, almost running into Lifeline, "Sorry!" she called over her shoulder as she kept running.

Lifeline just frowned, looked at his watch, back to the running red-head, tapping on the watch face lightly, muttering, "Damn thing must have stopped in the night." He shrugged, heading back to the infirmary.

Courtney burst out of the doors to the barracks, looking around desperately, hoping she didn't miss him because she really didn't want to have to wake up this early on another morning when she didn't have duty. She spotted Beach Head, sans balaclava, just beginning his run.

She heaved a sigh of relief and began running towards him, until she ever-so-casually fell into pace with him. Wayne glanced at her questioningly, "Punishment?"

"No. Just felt like some PT." She smiled sweetly back at him and really enjoyed the way his lips twitched when he was trying to not smile at her.

He shook his head lightly and then returned his gaze to the path. In truth he used the early morning runs for meditation; one of the reasons he ran so early was because few ever wanted to join him, and that suited him just fine.

Silence reigned, but Courtney didn't feel that it was necessarily an uncomfortable silence. Of course, it was hard to converse when one is jogging, but she didn't feel like she absolutely had to fill the space with him. The run continued on, winding its way through the woods not too far from their base.

Quickly, Cover Girl felt a sharp stabbing pain shoot through her calf and she stopped short, almost falling over. "Fuck!" Immediately sitting down on the path, she started digging her fingers into the protesting muscle, trying to massage out the cramp.

Beach Head looked down on her, his hands on his hips, "Did you have something before coming out here?"

"It's not even light out. I was trying to just stay conscious," she said through gritted teeth.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, kneeling down in front of her, "That was pretty stupid, Barbie." He motioned to her leg, "Let me?"

She nodded, closing her eyes as his stronger hands pressed on her calf, trying to restore the proper blood flow to the area, "I seem to be doing a lot of stupid things lately."

"Oh?" His voice was non-committal and he kept his eyes on his work.

She reached over to touch his hand, "I'm sorry, Wayne. I shouldn't have treated you like that."

"No, you shouldn't have." He met her eyes, his hands slowing in their ministrations as he felt the muscle finally begin to relax. "I'm not your enemy, am I?"

"Of course not. It's just…" She tried to think of a good excuse and came up dry, "I can be really stupid."

He nodded, patting her leg lightly, "Better?" He was rewarded with a smile but he kept his face stern, "Now, we will have to walk home because I'm not going to carry you when you pass out, and you should have known you'd cramp like hell, running on an empty stomach." He offered her a hand up, which she took, brushing the dirt off her legs and flexing her calf tentatively.

"Better. Thanks, and I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to ruin your run, don't feel like you have to walk me back."

He looked at her sternly, "Courtney. If I didn't want to walk you back, I wouldn't have offered. And you didn't ruin my run." He sighed and shook his head, grumbling, "You're lucky I like dumb women."

She laughed out loud when she heard that, meeting his eyes with a twinkle in her own and a teasing tone to her voice, "No, I am."

His lips twitched again and he shook his head slightly, moving closer to kiss her. She mirrored his action, marveling once he had enveloped her in his arms how nicely she seemed to fit. She was tall for a woman, being a model and too many times an embrace felt awkward because her height was not quite right.

As his lips met hers, conscious thought seemed to leave, just engrossed in the experience. He had given her what had amounted to two light pecks on the lips, but they never had the moment to really acquaint themselves in this manner. He brought his hands up to run through her hair, deepening the kiss.

Then, he backed off, looking at her intently, his calloused hand resting on her cheek as he tried to read her expression. "Does this mean I get a break in PT?" She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

His lips twitched as he said, "I wouldn't count on it Barbie." She laughed and took his hand in hers as they began the walk back to base.

O o o o o o o o o o O

Hawk was sitting at his desk, drinking his morning coffee and pondering what to do about the current plan to infect the country, hell, the world, with this bacteria that they were only fairly certain was safe. He was worried about what the president was going to say when he heard the news and what they were going to do if the president rejected this idea.

On a more personal level, while they were nearly positive that this bacterium was safe to infect people with, they didn't know for sure that it was safe for small children, elderly, immune-compromised and pregnancy. The pregnancy issue weighed heavily on his mind, with one of his own soldiers largely pregnant now and the thought of doing something that could harm either one of them was not very pleasant.

Hawk reminded himself that if they didn't do this, it was very likely that Cobra would release the other version of the bacteria with the deadly phage and that no one would stand a chance. His brain knew that it was the right decision, it was the only decision, but his heart wondered if he was going to ever be able to sleep again if anything bad happened because of it.

He stood up, smoothing his uniform and exiting his office. The least he could do was to talk to Scarlett first. He walked a few doors over to her office, knocking and entering when he heard a muttered greeting.

"How are you doing Shana?" He smiled sympathetically at her, it was clear that she was not very comfortable in this last stage of pregnancy. "You look…" He paused, trying to think of the 'right' answer that wouldn't offend her.

"I look like shit, I know it," she snapped. She felt like her skin was going to split open at times, she felt so swollen, plus her head would not stop throbbing. She wanted this child out and for him or her to stop practicing their martial arts on her organs. "Don't apologize or try and say it's not true," she warned as he opened his mouth. "I may be Shamu the whale, but I will hit you." Her eyes met him with deadly seriousness.

He held his hands up in surrender, thinking perhaps that now was not the best time to be talking to her about this, but doing it anyway. "I wanted to talk to you about something." She eyed him warily and motioned to a seat. "I wanted to make sure you knew about this release we're planning."

She nodded, "The answer to our prayers and all that. What about it?"

"I just wanted to make sure you knew, we're not going to be able to test it exhaustively," he said carefully. "And so we can't be certain on the effect it will have on certain sub-sections of the population."

Realization dawned and she nodded slowly, "I understand." Her voice was tight as she continued. "We have to, there's no other choice. We _know _the original pathogen is incredibly dangerous. It's the only hope for me and for the baby."

Hawk felt a measure of relief that she also agreed with the decision. He smiled reassuringly at her, "There's no reason to think it would be dangerous at all, I just wanted to make sure you knew that the possibility existed."

"Possibilities always exist. I could be hit by a bus on the way to my next doctor's appointment." She maintained her façade of calm, though inwardly she was uneasy. She was willing to take the risk, but there were thousands of women out there who didn't even know of the risk coming.

"Speaking of that, when is your next one? When are we going to get to meet the little darling?"

"Monster more like it," she muttered. "Don't know. After the release of the bug probably when Doc gets back unless someone has mercy and puts me out of my misery."

He chuckled, "You are seeing someone while Doc is gone, right?"

She seesawed her hand, "I've really not felt like going into the city for the stupid weight checks, like I want to know how much weight I've gained. That is seriously all they do at this point. And they wanted me to drive two hours for that? I don't think so. I talk to them on the phone and that is fine until Doc gets home."

"Don't worry, it will all be over soon." He gave her another reassuring smile and stood up, feeling acutely sorry for Duke having to deal with her when she was in this sort of mood.

"It better be or I'll be getting this kid out myself!"

Hawk stood as he laughed, "Let me know if I can get you or Duke anything."

"Thanks for telling me about it, Hawk," she said sincerely. He smiled back at her and then left to do last minute preparations before leaving to meet with the president.


	44. Risky Business

Doc, Duke and Hawk were sitting in the meeting with the President to discuss with him the situation. The President was not a happy man, hearing the news they bore.

"Are you sure there are no other options?" Frustration was clear in his voice.

"Unfortunately sir, we have very little time to develop other options. If the C-Phage gets out into the general population, it could decimate the country and potentially the world, in short order," Hawk explained calmly.

"And you are positive this new bug isn't going to harm people?" The President's eyes bored into all of his advisors.

Doc cleared his throat, "We can't be positive, especially in more vulnerable populations."

"Children, elderly and sick. Great. So, if people are going to die, it's going to look like we're the next Reich," the President grumbled.

Hawk spoke up, "With your approval, we plan on releasing it on our base this weekend to ensure it is safe."

Duke's head turned quickly towards Hawk – no one had told him about this plan. He noted that Hawk was very deliberately not looking at him. They were going to expose Scarlett while pregnant and no one thought to mention this to him? He fumed silently, waiting until the meeting was done before having any sort of disagreement with Hawk.

"I'm not sure I like that idea, you're our best defense against Cobra and if something goes wrong, we'll be at a disadvantage. Plus your men and women aren't part of the vulnerable populations."

Duke spoke with a strained voice, "There's a pregnant woman on our base." Doc and Hawk both continued to avoid his gaze.

The President arched his eyebrow at that, but did not comment on the origins of such a woman. Doc broke the uncomfortable silence, "I am sure it will not pose a threat to _anyone_ on our base. We need to be the first exposed because if Cobra gets wind of this and releases their bug, we need to be immune to be able to respond, and we're not sure how long it will take to build up a strong enough immune response."

Closing his eyes, the President spoke, "Do it. In three days if no adverse reactions are seen, start releasing it into the population." He clearly was not comfortable with this decision, but after hearing all the medical and scientific information, he was in a corner and there wasn't much else he could do. "God help us all if this goes wrong."

O o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Duke cornered Doc and Hawk after the briefing, "You're planning on leaving Shana on base when you do this? Since when?" He was upset with this plan but he still was objective enough that he kept it to himself during the briefing.

"Duke, you know this isn't an easy position for us to take, but logically, this is the safer option for her. If Cobra releases their version before we can ours, anyone without immunity will likely die," Doc tried to explain calmly.

Hawk put a hand on Duke's shoulder, "I wish there were more options out there."

Duke sent his face into a grim expression, "There have to be more options and I'll find them."

Doc and Hawk glanced at each other uneasily, but didn't dispute the First Sergeant's words as he led them to the car to return to base.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Duke drove back in silence, trying to think of some way to keep his wife and child safe from any possible biohazards during this tenuous time. When they finally reached the Pit, Doc clapped him on the shoulder, "Have Shana come by when you see her. She's past due for a checkup and I'll do everything I can to make sure she's not going to be at risk, ok?"

Duke nodded, but didn't speak, choosing to instead head directly to his quarters. When he arrived, the lights were off, but he heard the sounds of soft music. "Shana," he called softly.

"In here," her voice resounded from the bedroom. He entered to find her laying down with a cool rag over her forehead. He was a little surprised at her appearance, she looked much heavier than she had even the day prior. "I don't feel very well."

"Doc wanted me to bring you by anyway for a checkup, so we'll just go over now, ok?" He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. She wasn't feeling well, that likely meant her immune system was more vulnerable than expected. Not what he wanted to hear.

He helped her up carefully, her moaning occasionally from the pain in her head and the generalized woes of being very pregnant. "I hope you know I'm never doing this again," she muttered unhappily.

Duke couldn't help but smile, planting a kiss on her lips quickly, "It'll be over soon, love. I promise." He kept an arm around her as they walked towards the infirmary.

"Easy for you to say. You're not swelling up to ten times your normal size, having something hang by their toes from your ribs and feel like you just want to chop everything off from the waist down." She was definitely not in a good mood.

Duke tried to be conciliatory, "You know I would do it if I could."

"But you can't," she snapped. She then sighed, "Sorry. It's just really miserable right now."

He nodded and they walked the rest of the way in silence. When they entered, Doc's eyes widened, "Shana?" She nodded wearily and gave a weak smile. "Come on, let's get you laying down."

She gratefully followed him and let him help her up onto an examination bed. Duke interrupted Doc before he could ask her any questions, wanting to get this out of the way, "Doc, can you put Shana in a quarantine room?"

Both his wife and the doctor stared at him, identical words escaping their lips, "Why?"

He turned to Shana first, "They want to release the version of this bug that we have cooked up, here, on the base." She nodded, seeming unsurprised. "Did you know?"

"Yes, I did. And I'm not going into quarantine. I can't." She returned his start evenly.

Duke frowned, "You can. And you will."

"Excuse me, Hauser, but you don't have the authority to order me like that," her voice was rising. Doc frowned, staying out of the argument for the moment, but staying in the room to take her blood pressure.

"No, but how can you just risk our child like that?" He was frustrated, it seemed so easy to him, keep her guarded and there would be no more problems.

Doc's frown deepened as he got his reading, interrupting the spatting spouses, "How long have you been swollen like that, Shana?"

"Forever," she said shortly to Doc, then continued, directing the rest to Conrad, "How would I be able to live with myself if this does something to an entire generation of children? I'm one of the heroes, just like you, and that means taking risks sometimes. This is something that affects more than just you and I."

"Shana, I need you to calm down, alright?" Doc interrupted again, "Your blood pressure is pretty high right now. I'm going to go get you some medication to help with that, ok?" He kept his voice calm, knowing that upsetting them both would be counterproductive. "But I also need you to stay lying down. That's an order." He got a confirmation nod from Conrad and hurried out of the room.

"See Shana? You're making yourself sick over this. We can figure out something else, but with you already sick, I don't think it's a good idea to have you exposing yourself to strange potentially lethal diseases," Duke cajoled.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!" Shana's voice was raising again. "I am a grown woman and I'm not going to roll over on this." She sat up, glaring at Conrad.

"Doc said you were supposed to lie down," Conrad said, almost nervously. His wife in the midst of a hormone supplemented rage was one to be feared.

She slid off the table quickly, "I have to go to the bathroom and last I checked I was still allowed - " Her words quickly cut off and only Duke's quick reflexes saved her from hitting the ground as she apparently passed out.

Duke's mild concern over her passing out went to full-scale panic when she started shaking uncontrollably. "DOC!"

A/N: Yeah….I'm bad….a cliffy. But hopefully the next few chapters will be faster in coming and then we'll be all done with this story. Please send me a review, it would be much appreciated.


	45. Code Blue

"DOC!" Duke yelled, panic in his voice.

Doc came running in, IV following close behind, both laden with items. "Shit," Doc swore under his breath. "Get me that line," he barked to IV and then turned to Duke, "We're going to need your help holding her down, ok?"

"What's going on?" Even as Duke questioned, he began restraining his wife as Doc struggled to slide a line into her vein. After Doc established the line and hooked her up to a couple bags of fluid, he helped lift her back onto the bed. Doc seemed to ignore him, adding a medication to the bag of fluid, putting oxygen cannula on her, checking vitals and feeling her stomach. "What is wrong with her?" he demanded again.

Doc sighed and finally responded, "I think she's got a problem called Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. It's made her blood pressure go sky high, which is why she was seizing. I've given her a medicine called magnesium sulfate and that's bringing her pressure down."

"Seizures? Is she alright?" He held Shana's hand tightly. "Is the baby alright?"

Doc nodded. "For now, they're ok. The seizure was fairly short, we have the medication in and hopefully we can keep it under control."

"What if it doesn't stay under control? What do we do then? Shouldn't we be getting her to a hospital?" Conrad's eyes shifted from Shana to Doc.

Doc swallowed and shook his head. "We can't. We're all in quarantine."

"_What?_" Duke exploded. "It's already been released?" He was absolutely incensed that not only had the bug been released, but that Doc had been just trying to placate him earlier.

"The moment the president gave the green light. I'm sorry Duke. We had to and we weren't going to tell people because of the risk of developing psychosomatic symptoms." He kept his voice low and neutral.

Duke glared at Doc, "Well, this sure as hell doesn't look psychosomatic. How do you know this is a pregnancy complication and not a reaction to the bug," he demanded.

"I don't for sure, which is why I can't let her leave the base," he said, wishing sincerely that there was another way. "I'm still a doctor and she's stable now, so we'll wait and see. In a few days, we should be able to move her."

"But what if we don't have that long?" Duke demanded angrily. Doc shook his head and shrugged, backing out of the room as he felt a hand tighten around his and noted that Shana's eyes were open.

"It'll be ok," she said, her voice slurred and her eyes glassy thanks to the medication that was quickly infusing into her. "We've got to do it, we're the good guys." She smiled as her husband leaned down to kiss her.

He nodded, whispering back, "Ok. I don't like it, but ok." He sighed and sat down next to her bed, their positions now reversed. He would have given anything to take her place or take the burden off of her, but she was right and right now all he could do was wait.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"Damn it!" Cobra Commander rammed his fist into the table, rocking it so hard that several glasses fell over. "All this work and still nothing to show for it! The Joes took out all of carriers and soon they'll have a vaccine!"

Destro looked up from the chess board where he was contemplating his next move, "I warned you against getting involved with biological warfare, Commander. It is far too unpredictable and hard to control."

Mindbender was eating at the table that had been so recently banged on. "We could just send in a suicide bomber," he said, shoving a piece of roast beef into his mouth.

"What?" Destro and Cobra Commander said in unison.

With words muffled by the food he said, "We just put a pod in a low-level soldier and send him where we want." Now Storm Shadow who had been standing in the corner unobtrusively turned his head to stare. "I mean, we don't need to tell him what his mission truly is."

"You're a genius Mindbender!" Cobra Commander exclaimed gleefully. "Let's do it!" Mindbender grinned maniacally while shoving another forkful of food into his mouth.

Destro swung his head around to look at his leader, "We are not sure that _our_ vaccine is effective! I do not think it is wise to release this contaminant without being absolutely sure that we will survive it!

The silver mask rendered it impossible to see expression, but Destro could almost hear the rolling of eyes in the tone of voice, "So, we ensure that it is mostly contained. We just need to make a show of it, so they know we're not afraid to use it and so the leaders of this country can see what exactly we can do to them. They do not need to know we aren't confident in our treatment yet." Cobra Commander pressed a button on a console, "Tomax, Xamot! I have a mission for you!"

"Of course Commander," one of the twins began.

"We'll be there immediately," the other finished.

"Excellent. I know the perfect place for our demonstration." Cobra Commander's voice slid down into nearly a whisper, cold and frightening. He was enjoying this, and that's what scared Destro and Storm Shadow the most.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"We've dispatched for an obstetrician Duke," Doc said, trying to calm the worried father-to-be.

"Are they flying in?" he asked, hoping the specialists would arrive quickly.

Doc shook his head, "No, don't want to risk contamination of a med-flight crew yet. They'll be driving. Top speed," he added, seeing the unhappy expression on Duke's face.

Duke grumbled while continuing to sponge off Shana's forehead. The medication she was on made her feel like she was burning up, although her temperature was remaining steady. "So it's going to be an hour."

"Hopefully less," Doc said, taking Shana's vitals again. "She's stable but I don't want to run any more risks than we have to."

"Neither do I, Doc. I really think -" his words were quickly interrupted by the blaring of warning sirens on the base. He looked at Doc, trying to decide if he was needed for this situation, even though he was technically on leave.

A voice from overhead removed any doubt he might have had, "Duke, please report to Conference B." He recognized Hawk's voice and didn't even bother to acknowledge it.

"Take care of her while I'm gone," he instructed sternly.

"Of course," Doc said with a nod and Conrad turned on his heel and left to see what Cobra was doing now.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"President Laugherty, Prime Ministers Traber, Jolien and Strauss. For too long have you discounted the power and sincerity of Cobra, but no more. Right now an American airport is a graveyard waiting to occur. There is a Cobra Operative infected with Serpent Syndrome, sharing his disease with your travelers, to take it across the ocean, soon to spread all over the world. Only Cobra possesses a vaccine for this disease, and unless our demands are met, no citizen who is not a part of Cobra will receive an inoculation. Think of the world, gentlemen and quickly submit."

The interruption in broadcasts was over quickly, but the reaction was immediate and wide-spread.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"We've shut down every single airport in the US, Sir," Flint reported grimly.

Dialtone spoke up, "Most other countries are shutting down air travel, just in case they have an infection threat as well."

"Good work men," Hawk began. "We have to take Cobra at their word that it is an American airport at this point, but there's no sense in taking chances. We need to find out _where_ this airport is, ASAP. We can release our bug and pray to God that it spreads faster than theirs."

"We're going to begin large-scale release now then?" Duke asked, selfishly thinking of his own situation and how he would benefit from it.

"Not yet. I'm giving our team two hours to try and determine which airport is infected so we can limit the exposure," Hawk said. "Especially with what's going on with Scarlett, there are some potential side-effects, which the scientists are working on, but I want to stall if we can."

"What's going on with Scarlett?" Shipwreck asked, the curious frown on his face mirrored by many others. They knew now that the bug had been released now at base, but didn't know one of their own was ill.

Duke licked his lips nervously, "She's had a seizure and her blood pressure is dangerously high. It could be a reaction to the bug, or it could be a 'normal' pregnancy complication. We don't know yet. Doc is running tests."

Jaye's forehead furrowed in concern for her friend, "Well, then we need to get moving. Look at the surveillance tapes for major US airports. Start in international airports on either coast."

"What are we looking for?" Falcon asked.

"Anything. Anything that would make you think that Cobra could be there," Duke supplied.

The rest of the briefing went quickly, breaking members into teams and determining which airports to begin with.

"Don't worry, Conrad," Flint said when the briefing was done, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "We'll find this and stop it."

"We better do it quickly," Duke said grimly. "If we can't find it and stop it, if we are forced to release our bug and it is what is causing the problems in Shana, we might save the world from Serpent Syndrome, but the cure could be worse than the disease."


	46. Eureka

AN: Sorry it's been so long, but you know...school and family and work and all that. It's been mostly done for a while, I just had to tweak it. It feels a little rusty, but hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next one. Thanks to everyone who bothers to review, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

* * *

"This is pointless!" exclaimed Cover Girl, pushing back away from the desk where she was stationed. "We don't even know what we're looking for, all the while, time is wasting."

"Calm down, Barbie. It may not be much, but it's all we got," Beach Head muttered to her in a half-hearted attempt to be reassuring. "We've got to find them."

"I _know_ we have to find them Beach Head," her voice tinged with anger at his assumption that she was giving up. "But there has to be a better way. Can't we track the radio frequency or something?"

Mainframe, who had been paying only minimal attention to the lover's spat in the corner perked up when he heard Cover Girl's last sentence. "Maybe we can!" He looked excitedly to the room at large, "If this bug kills as quickly as we think, Cobra would have wanted to wait until the guy was inside the building, if they have any brains whatsoever."

Shipwreck snorted, "I think you're giving them too much credit."

"Shut up!" Duke snarled, having lost all patience. "Keep going, Mainframe."

"Well, if we can get a hold of surveillance recordings around the time of the announcement to now, we can look for any unusual frequencies being broadcast. Storm Shadow said the pods were activated by a particular frequency."

Jaye sprung out of her seat giving Mainframe a kiss on the cheek, "You're a genius!" He turned bright red and looked nervously to Flint, who was laughing along with the rest of the room at his embarrassment.

Duke's voice cut through the laughter, "Alright, get it done. Someone find Dial-Tone and let's find this and neutralize the threat now."

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

"Sir?" Dial-Tone stood at Hawk's door, looking uneasy.

Hawk looked up from his paperwork, "What is it, son?" Sensing the communications expert had something important weighing heavily on him, Hawk gestured for him to sit.

Dial-Tone took the seat and let out a sigh, "I think I may know who our leak was."

"Really." Hawk kept his face hard and unreadable as he listened.

He nodded, "Scarlett." His eyes cut down, feeling like he was kicking her while she was down.

His lips pursed, Hawk leaned over his desk. "Are you sure?" Dial-Tone nodded and Hawk frowned. "I don't believe she's really leaking to Cobra. There has to be some sort of explanation for this. Get me all the details of what you've found and meet me in the infirmary. I want to get to the bottom of this ASAP."

Dial-Tone nodded, giving a sharp salute and fleeing the office quickly.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Doc looked over to where Shana lay breathing shallowly, checking her vitals before moving to sit at his desk. This was a terrible situation and he hated how helpless he felt as a doctor. He had been trained for trauma and the basics of everything else, not high-risk pregnancies during a plague.

He leaned over his microscope, trying to determine the extent of Shana's infection and whether or not it had anything to do with her spiking blood pressure and seizures. He was getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of evidence he was finding. The printer whirred to life beside him and he waited anxiously to see which results were coming back.

When he grabbed the paper and read the results, relief washed over him. Shana was still in danger, but based on her blood protein levels and the work he was doing there, it was unlikely to be because of the infection. He wasn't sure how he would have lived with himself if releasing the bug had caused this.

"Doc?" A solemn looking Hawk appeared in the room. "How is she doing?"

"She's stable, and I'm 99 sure that this has nothing to do with our bug," Doc said, a smile coming to his face.

"Good. Good." Hawk sighed and didn't look as thrilled at the news as Doc would have expected. "When do you think she'll be able to talk to us?"

A puzzled expression showed on Doc's face, "I'm not sure, why?"

Rubbing his forehead in exhaustion, Hawk spoke quietly, "Dial-Tone traced the leak back to her."

Doc had to refrain from laughing, "You don't honestly think she could have been the leak? I mean, they targeted her and we both know that Shana is exceptionally loyal."

"I know she is, but the fact is that she did decide against going to meet Storm Shadow at the last moment," Hawk held up a hand to prevent Doc from interrupting him as he continued, "Honestly, no. I don't really believe it, but other people outside of the team might and use this against the team and her. And if someone is using her for information without her knowledge, we need to know and it has to stop."

Doc's face was still furrowed in a frown but he nodded. "I can dial her meds down a notch, especially now that we know this is a naturally occurring event. It will still take a while though for her to be coherent again."

"That's alright. Dial-Tone is going to be bringing me all his information, and I'll probably end up needing to talk to Duke because Dial-Tone will need some things from their quarters."

Doc nodding, moving over to the IV pump and turning down the rate of medication being infused. "Well, I know that this has to be some sort of misunderstanding or there is a good explanation for it, but I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thanks Doc, I appreciate it." Hawk rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He should probably get Duke in quickly too, though he knew his First Sergeant would not take any questioning of his wife very well.

O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O

Duke stopped Dial-Tone in the hallway, he was carrying a load of files and looking exceptionally uneasy. "Dial-Tone, we need your help in the control room."

"What? I mean, Hawk needed to see me in…" he stopped himself, knowing the infirmary would raise Duke's suspicions. "In a meeting right away. It's about the leak."

Duke's blue eyes glittered dangerously, "You found the asshole that's been leaking info? Who is it? I want to personally throw them in the brig."

Dial-Tone's eyes cut away to the ground, muttering, "We're not quite sure yet, that's why I need to talk to Hawk."

"Well, give me the files, you report to the control room. We need your help tracking down this airport situation and that takes precedence."

The communications officer clenched his teeth nervously, "Alright. I'm sorry." A blonde eyebrow shot up questioningly as Dial-Tone passed over the files and hurried towards the control room.

Duke began walking towards Hawk's office, picking up a file to skim, trying to discern who was suspected.


	47. Break in the Weather

A/N: yay, an update. As I was reading through earlier chapters to remind me where the flow of things were, I recognized a lot of sloppiness and holes. I need to fix them, and I will, but I do promise you that I will not go back and rewrite until I have finished this behemoth.

O o o o o o o o o o O

Duke walked into the infirmary with a face that could have frozen water. He walked directly up to Hawk and laid the files down on the desk in front of him. "What's this all about?"

"Where's Dial-Tone?" Hawk wasn't particularly happy with this situation, he would have preferred to handle it a little more diplomatically.

"We got a break on the airport and needed his help." Duke spoke plainly, though his face did not even attempt to conceal the mixture of emotions and the fact he was still waiting for an answer to his question.

Hawk sighed and massaged his temple for a moment before speaking, "It looks like the leak is coming from Scarlett," he held a hand up to interrupt the First Sergeant before he even got the chance to speak, "And no, I do not honestly believe she is doing something traitorous. But we still need to investigate."

Duke nodded, he really couldn't be angry, as much as he wanted to be, because if he were in Hawk's position, he'd do the same thing. "So what do you need?"

"Access to your quarters, specifically Shana's cell phone." Duke nodded in response to Hawk's words without complaint. "And we need to talk to her." Hawk knew this point was going to be the difficult one.

"She's not much in a state to have conversations right now, Hawk." Duke's brow creased unhappily.

"Doc is turning down her medication."

Duke's voice took on a growling tone, "I know you need your information, but this is not appropriate."

"She is doing better, Doc said it would be safe," Hawk said reassuringly. "I wouldn't endanger her or your child over this." He decided to not voice the added benefit that the side effects of the medication would work effectively as a truth serum.

With a curt nod, Duke walked away from Hawk to see for himself how she was doing. He wasn't sure how he felt right now, everything was too chaotic. Instead he found it easier to fall back into training and just methodically go about the problem-solving, without letting emotions get involved.

O o o o o o o O

"Hot damn!" Breaker called out suddenly. All eyes immediately went to him, looking expectant. He smirked, "Got it. Newark, NJ."

Beach Head got a smug and triumphant expression on his face, "You heard the man, let's move it, and go save some people! Cover Girl, Mainframe, go get Jaye and Lifeline respectively. We're leaving in thirty minutes!"

Jubilant, the team who had been working on this issue split apart and got the team ready to go storm the airport in Newark.

O o o o o o o O

Scarlett smiled groggily as Duke approached and kissed her cheek tenderly. "Hey. I feel funny."

Duke frowned a little, but Doc spoke before Duke could formulate a response, "Shana, you are sick and the medicine makes you feel that way."

She nodded without focusing on him, "Can you turn on the a/c? It's roasting in here." Knowing it too was a side-effect of the magnesium, Doc turned up the cooling system full blast for her benefit.

After a few more awkward moments, Hawk approached the bed, pulling up a chair and sitting beside the counter-intelligence officer. "Hey Scarlett, I have a few questions I need to ask you." She seemed puzzled, but nodded. "Do you know the phone number 555-3728?"

Scarlett's brow furrowed as she tried to force her brain cells to cooperate. "I know that number." She paused, a name forming in her mind, "That's Becky's number!" Her tone was triumphant and she turned to Duke, "You should call her and give her an update."

Hawk frowned in concerned, looking to Duke for some sort of explanation. Duke shrugged, not being familiar with the name or the person. He turned back to his wife, "Honey, who is Becky?"

"Friend of mine. Met her at Allie's cabin." Shana smiled sleepily, "I talk to her about normal people things. She's a normal friend." She giggled a little then yawned, beginning to drift back to sleep.

Duke was listening intently and it all began to fall into place; the taunts about her pregnancy, other more personal pieces of information. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on it 'We need to find the phone.' He stood and went to Shana's things, rummaging through quickly to locate her phone. He found it and handed it over to Hawk, "See? She doesn't know anything, so you people just need to leave her the hell alone right now." He spoke forcefully but his facial expression explained it all.

Hawk knew what Duke was communicating; they couldn't be sure what type of device was inside the phone and they didn't want to tip their hand any more than they already had.

"I think you need to look in another direction, Hawk, and leave my wife the hell alone!" he was yelling now, but signing as he spoke, his hands forming the words, '_I'll get the phone to Dial-Tone and Breaker.' _Scarlett's eyes opened and she tried to speak, but Duke shook his head quickly.

Hawk nodded to the sentiment and then said aloud, "Calm down Duke. I'm sorry, you know we have to have to follow up everything; obviously this is a dead end."

"Fine. I'm taking her things back to our quarters and getting her some new clothing. Will you stay with her until I am back?"

Hawk nodded and Duke grabbed the phone and a shirt to wrap it in and broke into a run to get the phone delivered to the experts and track down who in Cobra had set this stunt up so he could pay them back in kind.


End file.
